My Fire
by pendragon94
Summary: Sookie never turned away both Bill and Eric, and instead chose to be with Eric. Now she will have to deal with all of the repercussions. Rated T for future chapters. For the sake of the story, Russell has not escaped and Debbie did not attack.
1. Chapter 1

**This is going to hopefully be my first really long story, and is based as though Sookie had chosen Eric instead of walking away from both him and Bill.**

**This starts out in Sookie's point of view.**

_*Flashback*_

I stood there, looking into the golden light, and suddenly I was filled with the most amazing heat.

It wasn't the type of heat that makes you feel sick, or thirsty, or uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually. It was the type of warmth that surrounded you, filled up every pore on your body, and left you wanting more. Like curling up under an electric blanket on a snowy winter day, with the love of your life beside you.

I let myself drown in the magic. I let the human blood in my veins succumb to the power of the fae. Not only that, but I _pushed_ it to happen. I wanted this.

The radiance tingled over my skin, and the experience branded itself forever in my memory. I would never forget this, and I would never regret the decisions that had led me to this.

I looked past the light at Eric, and smiled from ear to ear. He did the same, and as I felt the light release me, I rushed forward to embrace him.

We kissed, and suddenly he was falling back, and I went with him. When he told me how tired he was, I offered him my blood, and before I knew it we were bonding. Sadly, I barely remembered what happened and suddenly I was in his arms, releasing the wrist I had drank from. We stand, and I sway from the rush of it.

For one shining moment, everything in my life was perfect and right as he held me, and I reveled in the feeling of it. But then like a dying spring flower, the moment was suddenly gone.

The next moment was when everything went to hell.

_*End Flashback*_

**I hope you enjoyed this enough to stay tuned for the next update, and if I'm lucky then this will be my first really long story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it has been so long since I updated this story. I started a new job and things have been crazy.**

**(^.^)**

I grab my keys and purse from Sam's office, and walk toward the back door. "See you later Sam!" I call over my shoulder, and he looks up from his paperwork long enough to smile.

As I get in the car, I check my phone for messages, and sigh when I see only voicemails from Bill. Pressing in the correct combination of buttons, I delete them all, without even hearing what he has to stay.

My car rattles to life with a wheeze, and I hope it will last long enough for me to save the money for another one. It's been nearly two weeks since I told Eric and Bill that I was done with both of them, and have succeeded in avoiding all vampires. Those first few nights I was certain that I was seeing shadows in the trees around my house, and I had felt as though I were being watched. But that had stopped after a while.

Of course I can't help it when Bill comes into the bar, but when he does I just go about business as usual. Eric had been silent, and I hadn't heard a word from him since that night in the Compton house. But I had been extremely lucky in the past week, and I was almost certain that he was behind it. The local construction company apparently had mixed up some information in their database, and I ended up with a driveway of free gravel. Then I won a contest I hadn't even entered in and got a free one thousand dollar shopping card at my favorite clothing store.

Jason had stopped by just this morning, and told me that the Best Buy in the next town over had also made a mistake, and he ended up getting a new TV for free. Then he found some money hidden away when he was going through some of Momma and Daddy's stuff in the basement of their house. He wanted to split it with me, but I insisted he kept it since he needed it more than me.

Tara had moved back in with Lafayette just a few days ago, and they were getting along well enough. It was lonely at home at night, but I got used to it, especially since I no longer liked leaving the house after dark. I'd changed my entire schedule to restrict my nighttime activities as much as possible. Sam had even changed my schedule so that I always worked the day shift. I always went to bed early, and slept through most of the darkness. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night, and imagine that I would see either of the two vampires standing in my back yard, just watching the house. As though they were waiting for something significant to happen, and in my opinion they could just keep waiting. The last two weeks, without all the drama and confusion, had been like a vacation.

I stopped next to my house, and made my way inside just as the sun started to set. Every color from of the rainbow was splashed across the sky, in a way that only happened on occasion, and it reminded me of the finger paints I'd used as a child. I remembered how I would make pictures for all of my friends and my Gran. I even recalled one time when I had drawn an inappropriate scene that I'd seen in my 2nd grade teachers mind. She had turned nearly purple when she realized what I had done, and that's when she insisted on having me tested by professionals. Of course Gran wouldn't let anyone touch me, especially any kind of special doctor, so after a while everyone gave up.

As I walked in the backdoor, I glanced over a photo of myself, Jason, Tara, Lafayette and Gran all standing together on one of my birthdays. There was a cake in front of me with ten candles, and Gran had always insisted that we leave the picture up even though I was missing a couple of teeth in it and had obviously been surprised by the camera. I'd considered taking the picture down after she passed, when I redecorated the kitchen, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I flipped on different lights as I walked through the house, checking everything over. It was a habit that I'd fallen into, and hadn't given up, since the short amount of time that I'd been responsible for Eric. He had been very keen on safety, and after watching him check the house over multiple times, it had somehow started to become my duty.

Making myself dinner, I wondered what Tara was doing, and called her while I was stirring my small pot of spaghetti sauce. Nobody answered the phone, and after leaving a message, I proceeded with my dinner. Immediately afterwards I grabbed a book, turned on my TV for background noise, and began to read.

A short time later I glanced at the clock, and had to do a double take. It was nearly one in the morning, and I had been reading for over 4 hours. Turning everything off, I went upstairs, and was about to curl up into bed when I heard a faint knocking on my front door. I hoped it wasn't who I thought it, but of course I wasn't disappointed when I opened the door slightly.

"What are you doing here Bill? It's one in the morning." I yawned to emphasize my point, and he glanced at this watch as though he hadn't known what time it was all along.

"I…well I noticed you were still up, and I wondered if there was a reason. If there is then maybe I could help?" He cocked an eyebrow, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes." I said, looking pointedly at him. He only smiled, completely lost, until I said, "You!" I closed the door in his face and marched off to bed. How could he have that much nerve? To come over and act as though I never said a single word to him about not being his. I suddenly realized just how exhausted I was, and finally lay down to go to sleep.

The next morning, I got up to someone ringing my doorbell.

Going downstairs I groggily jerked the door open, and was surprised to see a delivery man standing there. He had a long box in his hand and he handed it over to me as soon as I signed the deliver paperwork, then he promptly left. Opening the box on the dining room table, I was surprised to see that it was full of delicately wrapped purple flowers that I had never seen before. I wondered who they were from, and found a small card. Turning it over, it had a simple _–E. _

I smiled, realizing they were from Eric. Looking further inside the packaging, I found a small pamphlet that explained that they were Moon Lilies, and would only bloom under the light of a full moon. Luckily there would be one that night and I continued to smile as I arranged the flowers in a vase, and put them on the kitchen counter. It was my day off, so after getting a shower and getting dressed, I headed off to Shreveport to use my gift card for new clothes.

When I got home it was just half an hour past sunset, and I scanned the area for anyone who might be waiting for me, but found nothing. Loading up all of my bags to make a single trip, I got into the house, and not a moment too soon as I felt a void coming up behind me quickly. Just as I got across the threshold, I turned and was relieved to see that it was only Eric. "Do you want any help with those?" He asked, and I shook my head as I set the bags down against the inside wall. "I know you're not really interested in seeing me, but I have some work that requires a telepath, are you interested?"

I thought for a second, before asking, "What's the job?"

"He smiled slightly, "I am hoping to hire some new employees at the bar, but some of their resumes seem… off. Could you read them for me to see if there's anything I should know?"

I was uncertain for a second, but then I reminded myself that I had promised to work for him a long time ago, so finally I nodded. "When do you want me to come to the bar?"

"Tonight if possible, we need new staff, so I need to hire someone quickly." He said, and his tone was all business.

"How about I come there in an hour? I want to put this stuff away and eat then I'll come over."

He just nodded and immediately took off at vampire speed.

As soon as he was gone, I slumped into the kitchen chair, and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe that I had been so good when talking to him. Then all at once I realized the difference between Eric and Bill. Eric was someone that I hated to miss, but always looked forward to seeing, and with Bill it was the opposite. I no longer had any desire to see him, but I would always miss him. Then again who doesn't miss their first love from time to time? At that moment it seemed all too obvious that I had made the wrong decision two weeks prior at Bill's mansion. I should have never turned Eric away.

With a new goal in mind, other than the job at hand, I headed upstairs to get ready to go to Fangtasia.

(Eric POV)

Pam's emotions suddenly spiked from the front door, before she closed herself off, and I turned to see who had affected her. It took a moment before the culprit walked through the entrance, and as soon as she did, I felt as though I would fall out of my throne.

(Sookie POV)

Eric's eyes met mine as soon as I walked in the door, and for a second I read nothing but pure lust on his face. Then he put up his usual cold mask, and I walked forward toward him. "Let's go do business." I said, and without a response he stood and led me into his office. This was going to be fun.

(^.^)

**Hopefully next I won't take so long putting up this next update! Sorry!**


	3. Chapter 3

Several months prior, I had tracked down the maker of the dress that I'd worn when I first met Eric, and ordered another one. It had been safely tucked away in a box under my bed since then, and I finally decided to pull it out. My hair was put up in a tight ponytail, and I was wearing white strappy sandals with just a hint of makeup on my face. I looked just like I had when I'd first met him.

He ushered me into his office ahead of him, and closed the door behind us. I see Pam's smirk from the main entrance just as I disappeared through the door frame. Eric plopped down behind his desk, sinking into his chair, and stared at me for a pregnant second. I just stood there with a slight smile, waiting for him to say something.

When he didn't speak a word, I decided to push things along. "So…who am I reading?" The sooner I got done with work, the sooner I could get down to other business.

I wasn't sure if he'd heard me, since he didn't answer for a long second, until finally he said, "Pam." She appeared next to me, and he looked at her with indifference. "Bring in the potential workers."

She nodded, and sauntered off, only to return a minute later with several humans trailing behind her. As soon as she'd gone, he motioned for me to set in a chair next to him, and I did so as the people lined up in front of him. There were two men and three women, all of them looking nervous and out of place. I focused on their thoughts as a whole, listening to the inane chatter, until Eric started to ask questions.

Two of the women were honest enough, only fudging the truth slightly when it came to their past working experience, and would make good bartenders. One of them was fresh out of college, and was only in need of a temporary job to pay for her basic living until she found a better job. The other had lost her last job for always being late on the morning shift, and I smiled slightly knowing that wouldn't be a problem if she worked for Eric.

Then, when I dipped into the head of the third women, Abby, I had to force myself to keep a straight face.

_Oh my god he is over a thousand years old! I could live for a few years off of the money I'll get for his blood. I'll be filthy rich! I hope he hires me or Jake. When the bar closes, he's probably the last person out, and it'll be the perfect time to catch him off-guard. Damn, if I could hold him in silver somewhere and keeping taking his blood, then I'd never need to work again. _She started picturing suitable places where she could chain Eric down, and how she would keep him from escaping.

I recognized the younger of the two men as Jake, and in his and her minds I could see that they were experienced drainers who had just moved into Shreveport from Mississippi. I was surprised by the trail of truly dead and badly injured vampires that they had left behind them. Eric turned to look at me for a second, probably having heard my increase in heart rate, but I ignored him and continued to focus on the people in front of me.

The man next to Jake, his name was Mark, was slightly older than the rest of them. He was in his mid-thirties, with two kids. His wife had passed away several years prior from cancer, and my heart went out to him. He'd been unable to find work recently, and was struggling to keep up with his bills and other expenses. I promised myself in that moment that he would definitely get a job.

After several more minutes of questions, Pam led the people out of the office, and I turned to look at Eric. "So, who should I hire?" He asked me.

My curiosity got the better of me, and before I could say anything else, I asked, "Why don't you just glamour them all?"

He arched an eyebrow at my impulsiveness. "After too many glamour's it starts to affect the memory and overall intelligence of a human. Just look at Ginger. I want actually useful employees who can think for themselves and aren't only as smart as a ton of bricks. So who do you think I should hire?"

"Well, you definitely shouldn't hire Jake or Abby. They're from Mississippi, where they worked together to drain countless vampires. They plan on doing the job long enough to get you alone before the bar closes, and then they want to silver you somewhere and keep you so that they can live off of the money for your blood."

His nostrils flared at my statement, and even though he didn't seem angry, I could tell he wasn't happy at all. He pulled out his phone, presumably to text Pam, and then looked at me expectantly. I told him about the other candidates, and he agreed that he would hire Mark and give him a slightly higher pay than usual along with benefits.

After I finished he pulled out his checkbook, and issued me a check for my time, then he looked me dead in the eye. "So now that that is settled, what else would you like to do tonight?" His gaze covered me head to toe, and suddenly I felt very self-conscious.

Clearing my throat, I built myself up, "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go on a date with me sometime?" He looked as though he would burst out laughing, and it was all I could do not to run out of there.

"A date?" He asked, and I nodded. He thought for a second, before finally looking resigned. "Alright, how about I pick you up tomorrow at-"

He was interrupted by a crash outside his office door, and suddenly a man came barging in with a shotgun, putting it directly in my face. I closed my eyes as his finger twitched toward the trigger, and when the BANG rang out through the room, my eyes popped open in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

My mouth fell open in disbelief as Eric collapsed to the floor in front of me, blood and pieces of flesh started to pool around him, and I screamed for Pam. All thoughts fled from my mind as the attacker lifted his gun back to me to finish the job. I didn't understand what I was doing as I threw my hands up, and suddenly my light emerged, blasting the man through the half closed door, and out into the hallway. I dropped down to the floor next to Eric, and as gently as I could I turned him over.

I stared at the damage to his stomach, and turned my attention to his face. Taking his head in my hands, I looked down to into his open eyes, and he appeared frozen. "Eric?" I asked, and after a moment his eyes flicked toward me. I leaned him up as best as I could, and pushed his face into my neck with one hand, while using my other hand to open his mouth. "Come on Eric, you need to feed."

At first he didn't do anything, and in those seconds I felt as though I was the one dying. Tears poured down my face, and a sob racked me body as I tried to hold myself steady for his sake. I thought over the last couple of weeks, and realized just how lonely and lost I had been without him.

"Please," I whispered, "I can't live without you." I heard his fangs drop down, and I gasped when he sank them deep into my neck. His hands found their way to my back, and he maneuvered me to sit in his lap as he sat up. In the time it took him to do so, he never broke contact with my neck. After several long pulls, he started to move away, but I put my hand in his hair to urge him to keep going. "You need to feed." I insisted, and he obliged me by latching back on with a growl.

Pam arrived then, with already healing cuts on her face. I gave her a smile, and she nodded before turning to the gunman on the floor of the hallway. She picked him up and carried him off, I assumed to the basement, and a chill ran through me. The shotgun still lay on the floor, and I wasn't surprised when one of the vampire employees grabbed it and broke it in half.

A wave of fatigue washed over me, and black spots started to appear in my vision. I closed my eyes, and let myself drift off into blissful unawareness.

When I finally came back, I was lying on something soft, and I recognized the feel of the black leather couch next to his desk. Refusing to open my eyes, I didn't give any sign of being awake, and just listened to the sounds around me.

I could feel the mental void of Eric at his desk, and heard as he shuffled through different papers and occasionally typed things into his computer. A clicking of heels could be heard coming down the hallway, and I recognized the sound of Pam's voice a moment later. "Eric, the bar is cleared out of patrons, and the mess around the bar and the front door is cleaned up. Do you want to reopen, or stay closed for the rest of the night?" She sounded bored, if not a little aggravated.

"We'll stay closed. As soon as Sookie wakes up I'm taking her home, and I don't know if I'll be back or not. Also, get me a new door from the supply closet, and put it in place."

She muttered something about going through doors like donors as she walked away.

I rolled over on the couch, grumbling like I'd just woken up, and I was pulled into his lap as he sat next to me. "What happened?" I asked, and he started to stroke my hair.

"I'm honestly not sure. The gunman went straight for you, and I didn't have time to do anything but jump in his way. Then you blasted him away, and fed me your blood. I am sorry if I took too much." He sounded concerned for me, and it made my heart flutter. I could almost feel the intensity of his gaze on the side of my face. "I'll take you home when you're ready, or you could stay here." He stated, and I shook my head.

"I don't really care where we go, as long as you're still with me." I said in a low voice, uncertain of how he would react to my sudden need of his company. But he didn't say anything in return, and continued to stroke me hair. I leaned back against him as we fell into a comfortable silence.

We sat that way for a long time, simply enjoying each other's presence. When I first met Eric, I had seen him as nothing but deceptive and controlling, but now I was seeing a different side of him. When he had lost his memory he had been more loving and caring than anyone I knew, and I loved him for it. But it wasn't just his soft side; it was the hard side as well. Everything he did, he did to protect himself and the few people he cared about and I loved everything about him.

My stomach grumbled, and he stopped his hand from moving. "Are you hungry?"

At his question, I realized just how ravenous I was, and remembered that I hadn't eaten anything since that morning. "Yeah, but it can wait."

"Pam, bring me us the take-out menus." He said at a volume slightly higher than room level, and she walked in to give them to us a few moments later.

After I made my choice, he sent her off to get it, and half an hour later I was setting at the bar eating a calzone from a pizzeria up the street. He insisted on setting with me while I ate, and we talked about every unimportant thing that popped into our heads. It was nice to set with him, talking about anything that came up. I hadn't had a good conversation with anyone for a long time, and it felt good to speak my mind and have someone listen in earnest. All of my doubts about him started to fade away, and I could that he wasn't just doing this to humor me. He really cared, and that thought left delightful butterflies in my stomach.

I was just finishing my meal when we fell into a comfortable silence. Looking around the room, I realized just how large it was when it wasn't full of people. I'd rarely seen it quiet, so when I did it was eerie, and I almost longed for a crowd to be at my back rather than the empty space. As soon as I was finished, Ginger took the trash away, and Eric scooped me up in his arms. "Are you ready to go home?" I nodded.

He walked us straight out the back door, and immediately took off into the sky. I snuggled into his chest, and we landed on my front porch steps a short time later. "Eric, please come in." I said, and he followed me inside. "Wait here." I told him, and jogged up the stairs to my room to change into a tank top and shorts. It saddened me to see that my dress had gotten ruined, since I would never get the blood splatters out. I threw it into the garbage, and promised myself that I would spend the money to get my hands on another one.

When I came back down, he appreciated the small amount of clothing I had on, and it was evident by the slight bulge in his jeans. "Do you want to stick around, and maybe watch a movie?" I asked, and he smiled. Taking my hand, he led me to the living room and picked out a movie from my limited collection. As soon as it started, I leaned against him on the couch, and could feel my drowsiness setting in. But I fought against it, for as long as I could, until I suddenly woke up in bed.

Looking at the window, I could see that it was already daylight, and looking at the clock I could see that it was just after sunrise. For a moment I thought for sure that Eric must have left, until I remembered the cubby downstairs, and rushed to get to it. I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face when I saw him lying shirtless on one side of the bed.

I couldn't help myself as I closed the door behind me, and tiptoed over to the bed. After a moment hesitation, I crawled into the bed next to him, and curled up against his side.

It only took me a second to fall asleep.

**(^.^)**

**I'm getting back into the swing of things, and have been writing almost constantly to put this story out there on a consistent basis. I hope you enjoy it! **

**P.S. Thanks for all of the great reviews everyone. I'm always smiling when I read them. **


	5. Chapter 5

I drifted gently to wakefulness, and at first, the darkness confused me. Then I remembered where I was, and a blushing heat crept over my face. As I turned over, the lights kicked on, and I could see that Eric hadn't moved an inch. His face was an image of pure calm, and it amazed me how at times that same face could look completely vicious. I felt almost empowered, looking at him when he was so vulnerable, and I hated the thought of anyone ever hurting him while he was like this.

The phone rang upstairs, but I didn't move, and decided to let the answering machine pick it up. It stopped ringing just as my fingers started to dance across his chest, relearning the lines and curves of his body. I rubbed my fingers along the faint veins in his arms, marveling at the perfection of his skin, and I wondered at how few people had done this before me. My attention had just turned to his hair when the phone started to ring again, and with a sigh I left him in bed alone. But not before I noticed the bulge that had formed in the front of his pants, and I smiled as I went upstairs.

"Hello?" I answered it without even checking the caller ID.

"Where the hell are you Sook? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" Sam's voice erupted from the phone, and I could hear the busy bar in the background. I looked over at the clock and was shocked to see that it was two in the afternoon.

"I'm so sorry, Sam, I forgot that I had to work today. I'll get dressed and be there as soon as I can."

"Please hurry, it's like a madhouse over here." He said, and hung up as someone called to him from the background.

Not even bothering to get a shower, I threw my uniform on, put my hair up and hurried back down the stairs. Making sure that the house was locked up; I left a note on the door to the cubby for Eric, and hurried out to the car.

Merlotte's was in chaos when I got there, with Arlene rushing between tables at a dangerous rate with her serving tray. Sam stood behind the bar, dispensing one order while he took another, and Lafayette rang his bell as he set four plates of food in the window. Putting my apron on, I hurried into action, and started to get as much done as possible.

Two hours later the customers slowed down, and we were finally able to get things under control. Things went smoothly until dinnertime rolled around and the rush started again, spurring us back into a breakneck pace. At six, Tarry came in and took on most of the work at the bar, giving Sam a well-deserved break. I immediately noticed when the sun started to set, and for the first time in weeks it was comforting to see. It meant Eric would soon be awake. That thought made me smile, and I found myself in a better mood.

Sam came back in from his break an hour later, and put me behind the bar while he and Terry started to wait on tables. My workload didn't lighten by much, but it was easier on my feet. Jason came in just after dark, and sat at the end of the bar, patiently waiting for me to get him his usual beer after work. I was just handing it to him when my hand knocked into another full glass, and it went crashing to the floor. The ice water spread everywhere, and I stepped around it cautiously. "I'll get it for you Sookie." Tarry said, coming up with a mop and wet floor sign. "Thank you." I told him, and rushed off to change a keg in the walk in cooler. I came back out, with a case of drinks in my hands, and walked quickly down the bar to put it in a tall refrigerator. Balancing the large box of cans in one hand, I reached for the heavy metal door, and expecting it to stick it immediately gave it a hard tug. I was surprised when the door flew open easily, and I lost my grip on the box. It went clattering to the floor just as I lost my balance, and started to fall backwards on the slick surface.

I gave a surprised yelp and closed my eyes in anticipation of the impact, and was surprised when I felt a strong set of arms catch me. As I heard the bar go silent, I looked above me to see Eric smiling just inches from my face. Giving him a quick peck on the lips I said, "Thank you." and he set me back on my feet. His smile got bigger and he opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly he frowned and looked at the door.

Turning my attention toward the door, I instantly saw what made him unhappy. There was Bill, with a large scowl on his face, and obvious anger radiating out from him. He huffed out a breath, and proceeded to take a seat at a table that had just been vacated. Glancing around the room, I wasn't surprised to see that everyone there had also noticed what was happening. I was glad that Sam had gone back to his office a few minutes prior to place orders for things we needed. It only took another few seconds before the whispers started, and every thought in the room started to pound against my shields. A few negative thoughts managed to slip through the cracks, and I couldn't help but cringe.

_I can't believe she is with another vampire!_

_When will this girl learn? _

_Wow, he's hot. How did she manage to get him in bed?_

_He Gran would be so disappointed._

_I wonder if she realizes just how dangerous those fangers are._

Eric noticed my change in demeanor, and took my hand, understanding what was happening. The negative thoughts disappeared and I took the moment to reinforce my shields. "I'm okay." I said reassuringly after a moment, and he released me to walk around the bar and take a seat next to Jason. "I'll be done in a couple of hours. You can leave if you want to." I told him as I went to get him a True Blood, but he just shook his head.

"I'll wait for you to get done." He vowed.

Jason seemed nervous for a second, and took several big gulps from his beer. I gave him a warning glance, before returning to my work, and hoped the time would pass quickly. After a few minutes, Eric turned toward him, and started to ask him about what kind of work he did. They ended up getting into a conversation about the local drug problem, and I knew Eric was pumping Jason for the names of potential V dealers, but I didn't interfere. He was being civil with my brother, and I felt proud of him for being so nice even though he didn't have to be. I was glad to see that he didn't just take the easy way out and glamour him.

Sam came out of his office, and was immediately unhappy when he noticed my vampire sitting at the bar, but he didn't say anything. Although he did look slightly angry a few minutes later when he realized that Eric was there for me, and went stalking back to his office instead of helping Tarry with the food orders.

I could feel Bill staring at me, but I didn't return his looks, and focused on the orders I was taking.

An hour and a half after he arrived, Jason came around the bar and gave me a quick hug. "I'll see you later sis." He said, and his gaze flicked to Eric for a second, "I'll be around if you need me." I nodded, and watched as he left to go to his truck.

Jessica came in for a moment not long after he'd left, and went straight to Bill's table. I assumed he had called her to him, and my suspicions were confirmed when he told her something, and she immediately came up to sit at the bar on the opposite end from Eric. "Hey Sookie, how have you been?"

"I'm fine, how about you?" I asked with a smile.

"I'm okay, I was just wondering if I could talk to you some. Like in private?"

I thought that over for a second, and felt Eric's eyes burning a hole in the side of my head as he watched like a hawk. "You can come see me later; I'll be with Eric at Fangtasia."

"Ok, I'll see you later." She hurried away, and went back to Bill.

I gave Eric a confused look, and he stared at me seriously.

My replacement for the night arrived just ten minutes before my shift ended, a new girl named Megan. I quietly listed off the things that I'd gotten done and the few things that still needed attending to. She absorbed everything I said, and quickly took my place behind the bar while I went to refill the condiments dispensers. I stayed as far from the tables of groups of men as possible out of habit, but I doubted that anyone would try anything while Eric was around and watching.

This was the first night in a long time when not a single drunken idiot had tried to grope by ass.

"Wait here while I get my purse, then we can go." I told Eric when I had finished filling the salt and pepper shakers. Taking my apron off, I threw it in the dirty laundry bin as I walked to Sam's office.

As soon as I walked in, I could tell that Sam wasn't happy with me.

"Sookie, sit down. We need to talk." He demanded, and I ignored him by going to my locker.

I grabbed my purse and turned to face him. "Sam, I know you don't like vampires, but you don't have any say in what I do. Now if you don't mind, I would like to go home."

"Now just hang on a second, Sookie. It's not that I want to upset you or anything, but how much do you know about Eric? From what I hear in the supernatural community, he's ruthless. He could kill you in a second and it wouldn't even bother him. Will you at least think twice before leaving with him?" I shook my head, refusing to get into an argument, and walked out of his office.

Eric was standing by the bar, waiting for me, and I didn't doubt that he'd heard what Sam said.

"Let's go." I urged, and he followed me out the door without a word of protest.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he drove us back to my house. My car sputtered slightly every time he touched the gas, and I hoped he wouldn't notice. The last thing I needed was a shiny new car to get everyone's attention.

"I'm fine. What do you want to do tonight?"

He accepted my change in subject, and thought for a second before responding. "I need to go to the bar and do some chair time for Pam's sake. Apparently the humans get discouraged if I'm gone for too long and aren't as likely to come back, which is bad for business." He shrugged, not caring. "So you could go home, and wait for me to get done."

I smiled as I realized that he thought I wouldn't want to go. "No, I'll go with you. Maybe I can get to know Pam a little better."

He stayed in the kitchen while I went to use the bathroom, but when I came back, he was on the phone.

"-what you have to do Pam, I want to know who sent him after her, and soon." He ended the call before she could respond, and I stepped into the room.

"What was that about?"

"I was just telling Pam to find out who sent that gunman after you, she's watching over him as we speak." He stated bluntly.

"Why do you think that he was after me? He just wanted to get me out of the way to get to you." There wasn't anyone in the world that would have a reason to send a murderer after me.

He shook his head, "Sookie, he didn't even look at me. His sole focus was on you, and any assassin worth his money would have been the same way."

"Assassin? Isn't that going a little too far? I'm a waitress from Bon Temps, why would someone want me killed?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing; he had to be crazy to think that someone send an _assassin_ after me.

"You don't understand, you-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Why don't we go down to your little dungeon in Fangtasia and I'll listen to him?"

He seemed surprised by my casual reference to his torture chamber, and didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Alright, but I'm going to be right there with you the whole time." The way he said it made it seem like the guy was still dangerous, which I doubted was possible with Pam 'watching over' him.

"Fine." I muttered, and went upstairs to my room.

After getting a quick shower, I got myself dressed in a pair of black jeans, and sheer black shirt with a solid red undershirt. With my hair up in a ponytail, I put on just a hint of makeup, and a pair of red dress shoes. He stared at me with his mouth wide open as I came down the stairs, and finally just walked toward the front door. Assuming that he had already locked the house up, I followed him, and he drove us to Fangtasia. Pam eyed me up and down when we approached the door, and turned to Eric. "Are you sure you can't share her?"

He just glared, and she followed us as we made our way straight to the basement door. Eric asked if she'd learned anything, and she started, "Our 'guest' has been very unhelpful. I couldn't get him to say anything about who ordered the hit on our lovely blondie. I even half-drained him. He won't talk."

"We'll see about that." Eric said as he opened the door, and we descended the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

**Enjoy **

**(^.^)**

Just as I expected, when we reached the base of the stairs, I could see the man chained to the wall. There were multiple slashes across his chest, no longer bleeding but enflamed. His face had various patches of purple across it, and his neck was obviously mutilated. I reached forward with his mind, and behind the slight cloud that his pain created, I felt a strange buzzing. Then I realized exactly what the problem was. "He's glamoured." I stated to Eric, who turned to me in surprise. "There's nothing going on in his head, which means that he's still under the control of someone. I doubt he even remembers what he did, or why he did it."

Eric nodded, understanding that a vampire was behind the attack. I could practically hear the wheels turning in his head, and I wondered who he had in mind for the culprit. "Can you break the glamour?" He asked me.

"I'm not sure." I said, while walking closer to the man chained to the wall. "But I can try." Over the past couple of weeks, I had started to figure out how to use the light that came from my hands, and hopefully it would do the trick. I reached for the power in the back of my mind. It was like a bubble of sunlight, and when I pushed into it, I sent a jolt into the man.

He blinked several times, and the buzzing noise stopped in his head as coherent thoughts started to form. I pulled away from him as he looked around the room. "What's going on?" His mind was full of confusion, and any minute he could start to register the pain in his body. "Where am I?"

"Who sent you here?" Eric asked in an icy voice, ready to get some answers.

"I don't understand." The man stated simply.

Eric's eyes narrowed, and he started toward the man, but I stopped him. Looking at him, I asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I…I'm not sure." I watched the scenes play out through his head, and I learned his name was Ryan.

He'd sat in his living room, watching TV, when his cell phone rang. To make a living he worked as a firearms expert to train people who wanted to learn to shoot. The caller gave him an address that sounded oddly familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. Whoever the caller was offered him triple his usual rate if he could get there immediately. Ryan couldn't refuse, and had gotten to the address in just fifteen minutes. I felt a pang of pain in my heart as I recognized the house that he pulled up in front of, as well as who it was that met him at his front door. He was just walking into the house when Ryan's vision stopped, and the buzzing started.

I turned back to Eric with tears in my eyes, and he embraced me. "Who was it?" He asked gently, but somehow I think he had already figured it out, and just wanted me to confirm it for him.

"Bill." I said between harsh breaths as I started to cry. Eric carried me upstairs, leaving Pam to take care of Ryan, and took me straight to his office. Even though he kept up his calm façade for me, I knew that he was ready to kill, and I found that it didn't bother me. We were only there for a few minutes, setting together on his leather couch, when there was a knock on the door.

"Go away." Eric demanded in a hard tone.

"I'm here to see Sookie." I could hear Jessica's quiet voice from the other side of the door, and a growl vibrated through Eric's body.

"Come in." He said darkly, and Jessica stepped inside with caution.

When she saw the state I was in, she started to come closer. "What's wrong Sookie?"

"Bill sent someone to try and kill me." I choked out, and she seemed shocked, then relieved.

"It's good that you know, because that means that his makers command isn't good anymore. He sent me here to tell you that Eric tried to have you killed, but you already know better, and I did have my own reason to talk to you." She turned to Eric, "I'm really sorry, and I shouldn't even be asking, but I need your help."

He glared at her, but I touched his arm, and his expression softened slightly. "What do you want?"

"I want you to help me get released from Bill." She looked at the floor, unsure of what else to do.

"Of course." I replied immediately, and Eric looked at me stunned.

"Sookie," he started, "you don't understand what you're dealing with. Taking away a makers child is punishable by death. We can't just demand that Bill release her."

"Then what can we do?" I asked him, and he stayed silent for a minute.

"I know someone, a witch. I'm not too keen on magic given what happened with Antonia, but she's honest, and I think she might be able to help. Pam!" He called, and she appeared. "Get Kristen Agnali on the phone, and get her here as soon as possible." She nodded, and left to do what he said.

I dabbed my eyes with a tissue that Eric had given me, and he looked on with concern. "How are you?" He asked, ignoring Jessica's presence.

"I'll be okay, it was just a shock. I can't believe he would do that." I said, and Jessica hung her head slightly.

Pam came back in, and set some papers on Eric's desk. "I spoke with Kristen, and she'll be here tomorrow before we open. She's a few states over, so it'll take some time for her to get here. Also, you've got some major fans in the crowd tonight, so you should probably make an appearance on stage." He nodded, and she left to go back to the front door.

"Sweetheart, I need to go on stage for a few hours, do you want Pam to take you home?"

"No." I looked at Jessica, "Why don't we get a booth and have some girl time?" She just nodded, and Eric followed both of us out into the main area of the bar.

He cleared out a booth in the corner closest to him, and we sat down while he went up onto his throne.

I could hear the thoughts of all the humans get a little livelier with his appearance, and I realized that it would always be this way. He would always have lots of women and even a few men fawning over him, but it was okay. I was the one he'd chosen to come home to at night, and that was what mattered. Sensing my emotions, he smiled at me reassuringly, and I smiled back warmly.

"Sookie, can I ask you something?" Jessica asked, pulling my attention away from the stage. I nodded, and she went on, "I… well I kind of have been wondering if you would be okay with me… dating Jason?"

For a second I was speechless, unsure of what to say. "I'm flattered that you're asking me, especially since Jason's a grown man and can handle himself. You're probably the first girl to ever ask my permission. All I ask is that you're faithful to him."

"Of course. He's all I think about. Even when I was with Hoyt for a while, I was always thinking about your brother. I'm really glad that it's okay with you, since I'd like to be your friend." She said, and I could tell that she was surprised that I was okay with her and Jason. But I had been able to tell that he liked her a long time ago, and I'd figured that it would happen eventually.

I wondered about what might happen if they got too serious. Would Jason want to be turned? Pushing those thoughts away, I knew that Jason would do whatever was best for him and Jessica, and I would support him if it was what he truly wanted.

We started to talk about the things Jason had done in high school, and she laughed when I told her about some of the stunts he used to pull. As it got later, more and more people came in, and it took no time for her to start adding stories that he had told her. She couldn't believe the number of times that he'd gotten in trouble with Gran for being out too late and drinking.

At around midnight, a group of men from a bachelor party came in, and swarmed the bar. Ginger's usually dull mind became frantic as she tried to keep up with orders. I stood, and looked at Eric. "I'm going to help Ginger with the bar." He seemed uncertain, but nodded after a second.

When I tapped Ginger on the shoulder, she jumped, and looked frazzled. "Ginger, why don't you go take orders at the tables, and I'll handle things back here."

"Oh I don't know about that Miss Sookie, Mr. Eric might not like that." She said with a smile.

"It's okay, trust me. Eric is fine with you waiting on tables." She nodded, and went to do as she was told while I took over the bar. The set up with the alcohols and everything was very similar to the set up at Merlotte's, so I got a handle on it quickly.

Pam smiled at me from the front door, approving of my assistance, and Eric's eyes were glued to me while I worked.

"What can I get for you?" I asked one of the rowdier men from the bachelor party, who had not yet gotten anything.

He looked me over, and I made sure to block out whatever it was he was thinking. "How about your phone number?" The smirk on his face showed just how cocky he was.

"I'm sorry, my boyfriend wouldn't appreciate that. But I'd be happy to get you a drink." For a moment he seemed uncertain, until his smirk returned.

"I bet he can't compare to me, where is he?" I almost laughed out loud, but just smiling and pointing at Eric, who looked murderous. Turning to see where I pointed, the man's face paled for a second, before he looked at me nervously. "I can't believe you'd lie just to put me off." He grabbed my hand, spilling the beer that I'd been pouring and tugged at me slightly. "Why don't you call off work and we'll go have a good time?"

"No. Now let me go." I said forcefully, trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened. Then suddenly his hand was gone.

My mouth fell open slightly as Eric was suddenly there, holding the man in the air by his throat. "She is mine." He said, and even though his voice was quiet, I could feel his anger. His face was a careful mask of control, but his rage rolled off of him in waves, and all of the man's friends took several steps back. "Do you understand?" Eric demanded.

The man struggled to nod his head, and Eric released him, causing him to stumble away. Every person in the bar, human and vampire was staring at me and suddenly I was bombarded with acidic thoughts.

_How did she get Eric Northman? She's nothing._

_I bet he would want me instead of her. _

_She won't keep him for very long. _

_What does he see in her?_

Eric noticed the second that the thoughts came through the cracks in my shields, and with vampire speed he came around the bar and secured me against the wall with a searing kiss. A few people in the room looked away, while others whistled, and I was certain I could hear Pam chuckling from the door. I took the silence of his touch to reassert my shields, and finally he pulled away slightly. Giving me another quick peck on the lips, he turned, and took his place back on the throne.

Jessica came over after a second, and took a seat at the end of the bar. "I'll stay as long as I can." She promised, but I knew she would have to leave soon to return to Bill. I started taking orders again, as though nothing had happened, but I noticed that a lot of the orders were suddenly including a please and thank you. Ten minutes after the incident, one of the men from the bachelor party approached the bar, and gave me his order. As I was getting it, he said, "I'm sorry for the way my friend acted. We've been out all night, and he's drunker than he seems."

"It's alright. No harm no foul." I said, and handed him his beers. He went back to the others, who graciously took their drinks.

The rest of the night went smoothly, and after the final patron left I counted out the drawer. Pam was surprised by the number of drinks we'd sold, and gave me a leering smile. "We'll have to have you bartend more often. It seems that the human men like it when a pretty girl serves them drinks." I just smiled, accepting her disguised compliment, and finished cleaning up around the bar.

Eric came out from his office, and handed me a black jacket with _Fangtasia_ written in fancy letters across the back. "It's gotten chilly outside." He said simply, and I slipped it on. "Are you ready to go home?" He asked, and I replied by giving him a small kiss. We got into my car behind the club, and he started to drive us back to my house.

"You did really well at the bar, I'm proud of you." He said, but I could tell that something else was on his mind, so I didn't respond and waited for him to say his piece. Sure enough, after a few minutes, he spoke up. "I wondered if perhaps you would want to come and work for me at Fangtasia?"

I was speechless for a moment. "I…I'm not sure. I would need to tell Sam about quitting Merlotte's." No comments were made, and I wondered if I would be happy working for Eric. I imagined that he would be a good boss, and I could probably quit whenever I wanted. On top of that I would be happy seeing him every night, and I was sure I'd get more respect from the patrons. At Merlotte's I had always had a problem with the drunken men grabbing at me, but Eric wouldn't let that happen, and I made my decision. "Let me tell Sam I'm done, and then I'll start whenever you want me to."

He didn't say anything in return, but I could see that he was happy. "I'll pay you twice as much as the shifter, and don't even get me started on the benefits." He said with a suggestive smile, and he moved his hand to rest on my thigh.

"Don't start what you can't finish." I challenged nonchalantly, and gave him an equally suggestive smile.

One of his eyebrows jumped up, and a sly look developed in his eye. When we got to my house, he instantly appeared next to my door. Pulling me up from the seat, he held me against the car, and crashed his lips onto mine.

I heard my car door close, and suddenly we were standing at my back door. It took me a moment to unlock the door, and we got inside the kitchen, never breaking contact. He directed me back against the refrigerator, and suddenly his hands were everywhere, leaving goose bumps wherever he touched.

"Eric." I murmured against his lips. "Not here." He nodded, and I could feel the bulge in the front of his jeans as it rubbed against my leg. Picking me up in his arms, he started toward the stairs, and I felt a good kind of nervousness building up in my stomach. I closed my eyes for a second, and suddenly we were in my bed.


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up, disoriented by the complete darkness around me, and it took a moment for me to realize where I was. Hopefully I would soon get used to waking up in the cubby hole. Reaching out, I felt Eric next to me, and the motion activated lights kicked on. We both lay there, covered just above the waist with a blanket, and completely naked. The memories from the previous night washed over me, causing a stirring of warmth to creep into stomach, and I smile. My body felt deliciously sore, and I stretched as I stood up next to the bed.

Looking down at Eric, the serenity of his features made me smile, and I kissed him lightly on the lips before turning away.

Making my way upstairs, I went straight up to my room, and got a long hot shower. The stiff muscles in my shoulders and legs relaxed under the steamy spray of water, and I sighed in relief at the release of tension. After I turned the water off, I jumped out, and dried off. Grabbing the first pair of jeans and t-shirt that I saw, I put them on, and started to pat my hair dry with the towel.

In the kitchen, I was just starting to make myself something to eat, when the doorbell rang. Leaving my meal, I could see a man in a UPS uniform standing on the porch, with a small box in his hands. Dropping my shield slightly, I peeked into his head before opening the door.

_I hope there's nothing breakable in here, since I dropped it that once. Oh wow, this girl is pretty hot. I wonder if she's single. _

I smirked at just how wrong he was, and opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Yes I have a package for a Miss…Stackhouse?" He asked, rechecking the shipping label.

"That's me, but I didn't order anything. Who's it from?" If Eric had bought me something expensive, then I was going to send it right back, since it wasn't right for him to be spending all of his money on me.

The deliveryman checked over the different labels on the box, before shaking his head. "It doesn't say." He handed his clipboard to me for me to sign, and after I did so, he handed me the box and took the papers back. "Have a nice day." I closed the door as he turned to leave, and set the box on the kitchen table.

With a pair of scissors, I cut the tape on the opening, and found a smaller box in foam peanuts inside. Taking it out, I found a small card taped to the side, and set it aside for the moment. Opening the small box, I was shocked to see an ornate glass vial, full of what I could only assume was blood. Who would send something like that to me? Then I noticed the diamond and sapphire necklace that the vial rested on. There was a tag attached to the necklace that read, _For the human who shall always be mine. _A hint of fear crept into my mind, and I was certain that I who knew who had sent it. Picking up the card on the table, I flipped it open in one hand, and nearly dropped the box as I read the words. _Drink this, and be mine again. I demand it. –Bill_

Anger rolled through me, dark and malicious, and I felt like I could have stake him if he were standing there. I couldn't believe he had the audacity to try and _demand_ that I become his again.

Taking the vial of blood and necklace, I put them back in the box and closed the lid. Then I set down with a piece of paper, wrote my message quickly.

_Bill, _

_I'm sorry that you can't see it, but I am no longer interested in being with you. I have chosen Eric, and he has chosen me. I ask that you please do not speak to me or call upon me ever again, and if you need to see me, then talk to Eric first. I am his. _

_-Sookie._

Taping my folded note to the outside of the box, I put my shoes on and walked across the cemetery. One of his guards stopped me at the edge of his yard, and asked for my ID. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse." I stated, and the venom in my voice was evident. "Can you give this to _King _Bill?"

"Certainly ma'am." He said, taking the package, and I walked back to my house.

I stopped at Gran's grave, and brushed some leaves and dirt off the headstone. "I love you." I muttered, and continued on to my house.

Arriving back into the kitchen, I disposed of the remains of my unwelcome package, and wondered if I should tell Eric. It was nearly three in the afternoon already, and he wouldn't be up for several hours. Finally I decided, No, I wouldn't tell him. It would only make him angry, and it didn't matter now that I'd already handled it myself. Grabbing the food that I had left on the counter, I went to the living room, and switched on the TV as I ate.

Jason came by at five, and I made him dinner. We talked for a while until about six thirty, and he told me he'd see me later as he left. I watched him go out to the truck, and drive away. Looking at the sky, I could see it starting to darken, and a hint of pink started to creep over the horizon. Smiling, I knew that Eric would be up soon, and I went down to the cubby to lay with him until he woke.

As soon as my head touched the pillow, I felt my eyes droop, and I decided that a nap would be a good idea.

When I opened my eyes again, I could feel someone rubbing my back, and before I could react I felt his breathe on the side of my face. One of his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against him, and he kissed me just below my ear. A delightful chill ran down my spine, and I couldn't help the shudder that passed through me. He chuckled slightly, and continued to place kisses along the length of my neck. "Are you hungry?" I asked after a moment, and despite his efforts to hide it, I could hear his fangs drop. Turning my head to give him slightly better access to my neck, I took a deep breath. "Go ahead." I whispered, and he only hesitated for a split second before piercing my skin.

Every pull he made on my blood sent a jolt straight between my legs, and I couldn't help but rub myself back against him. He took slow, gentle sips, trying to prolong the experience, and suddenly his wrist came up to my mouth in offering. I bit as gently as I could, while still drawing blood, and sucked hard on the wound. Eric pressed against me more, and I could feel him rock hard against my backside. A small moan escaped my lips, and it seemed to only encourage him further. I could feel my blood flowing into him at the same time that his entered me, and it was the most incredible thing I had ever experienced.

Bill had explained to me long ago that if I did this three times with a vampire, then every time the bond would get stronger. Then finally, at the occurrence of the third exchange, the bond would become permanent. That had scared me with him, and I had always been sure that we didn't share blood at the same time. But with Eric, I was okay. I wanted this.

I wanted to be his forever, just as he would be mine.

Eric's emotions rolled through me, coupling with mine, and I was surprised that they were nearly identical. He wanted this just as much as I did, and my heart fluttered at the thought of being with him forever. His free arm snaked under me to support my head, and his hand twisted around to caress me through my shirt. A wonderful heat started to build up inside of me, and the pleasure of what we were doing was not lost on him. His fangs left my flesh a second later, and he licked the wound, but didn't heal it. Given the sudden anxiety I could feel from him, he probably thought I would protest, but I didn't. I wanted to wear his mark as a display that I was his, and no on else's. After one more pull I released his wrist, and smiled up at him.

His mouth started toward mine when suddenly his entire body froze, and a growl rumbled through his chest. Searing anger burned through the bond, and I looked at him with concern. "What is it?"

"That filthy Compton is approaching." He sneered, and I gave him a quick kiss before getting up.

"Put some pants on, and I'll go get rid of him." I moved to leave, before he grabbed my arm.

"Wait for me?" His face was a show of pure affection, and I nodded while he pulled a pair of pants out from under the bed and got them on.

Eric stayed in the living room where he could see me, but Bill wouldn't see him, while I went to open the door. Bill was just coming up the steps as I did so, and he smiled at the sight of me.

Reaching behind himself, he pulled something out of his pocket, and revealed the paper that I had written on when I returned his stuff to him. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Bill, I'm sorry, but we are done. I thought I explained that to you in my note." I could feel confusion through the bond with Eric, and pushed to send him reassurance.

"But… sweetheart, we _belong_ together. We're soul mates." He pleaded, and I only felt anger within myself. Eric took a step forward, but he stopped his advance as I started to speak.

"Now you listen to me Bill Compton. I am not now, nor will I ever be your soul mate. I have chosen to be with Eric, and if you can't accept that, then I demand that you leave my property." He looked shocked at my words, and opened his mouth to protest. "No." I said simply, and shook my head.

But as I performed the action, it moved my hair away from my neck, and Bill hissed at the fresh marks he saw. His fangs clicked down into place, and he growled menacingly, "I'll kill him for hurting you. You are mine!" He stated in a raised voice, and suddenly Eric was there next to me.

"I am Eric's!" I said before he could say a single word. Bill glared at Eric, who only smiled at him triumphantly, and I felt pride coming through our bond.

With a snarl, Bill reached across the threshold of the house, and took ahold of my hand, trying to pull me to him. Blinding rage suddenly dominated Eric's side of the bond, and Bill's hand left mine. Faster than either of us had seen, Eric had taken Bill's arm, and I thought I heard the sound of his bones breaking. Bill whimpered in Eric's punishing grip, "You will never again touch my bonded." His voice was flat, but I could hear the undercurrent of barely controlled rage, and I hoped for Bill's sake that he left without another word.

Eric threw him back off of the porch then, and Bill landed hard on the ground half way across my lawn. He stood, his arm at an odd angle, and started to back away from my house. "You will be mine, Sookie Stackhouse!" He shouted, before fleeing back across the cemetery.

I wrapped my arms around Eric's waist from behind, and held myself against him. Turning in the embrace, he returned it, and pulled me tighter against him. "Thank you for protecting me." I whispered against his chest.

"With my life." He vowed and leaned down to give me a gentle, warm kiss. I smiled up at him, before turning my head to rest it against him. Lifting me in his arms, he cradled me against his chest, and took me to the living room couch.

"What do you want to do tonight?" He asked, and I thought for a second.

"I need to go to Merlotte's and tell Sam the news. Do you want to go with me, or would you rather go to Fangtasia and I'll meet you there?" I asked, while I wondered what I was going to tell Sam. But more importantly, how would he react?

"I'll go with you."

"Okay, go get some clothes on. I don't want to get there too late." He smiled, and used his vampire speed to disappear and reappear less than a minute later. I don't know how he had the time, but his hair and teeth were brushed, and the clothes he wore were fresh and clean. "I've been keeping clothes in the spare bedroom." His explanation settled my questions, and I could imagine that he'd also put himself bathroom stuff in there.

When we got into the car to leave, Eric turned toward me suddenly, "What note were you talking about with Bill?"

I explained to him what had happened with the package, and even though it made him angry, I could feel how happy he was.

"I'm proud of you." He said, and we sat in comfortable silence for the remainder of the ride. My car spluttered less than it had been recently, and I thought over how much money I had in the bank to put towards a new one. I would need to save another thousand dollars before I could get a car that I was comfortable with.

Merlotte's just had a small crowd inside, but wasn't busy, and I asked Eric to wait in the car while I went outside.

"Sam?" I got his attention, and he smiled at me from where he stood behind the bar. "Can we go to your office? I need to talk to you."

He nodded, and I followed him back the employee's only hallway. "What do you need?" He asked cheerily, sitting down at his desk.

"Sam…I'm not sure how to tell you this, so I'll just say it. I'm quitting." The smile fell from his face, and I hurried to speak before he could, "I got a job offer at a bar in Shreveport and they're going to pay me twice the amount that you are, and I just can't pass it up." I said, being as vague as possible about where I would be working.

He thought for a moment, before sighing, "Alright, I understand." Turning quickly, he filled out a check with my name on it. "Here, think of this as a severance package. I know you need a new car." I hesitated, before taking the check, but he insisted.

"Thanks for being so good about this. I'll miss this place, but my Gran's house needs a lot of repairs, and I just can't afford them anymore. This will really help." I folded the check into my pocket, and took a step back towards the door.

"We'll miss you around here. Which bar offered you the job?" His curiosity seemed to get the better of him, but beyond that I could tell he was nervous about my answer.

I took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. "Fangtasia."

Anger immediately marred his features, and his voice rose slightly. "Sookie, I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you stay around here? I'll raise your pay a few dollars…and I'll see if I can schedule you more hours. You don't have to go all the way to that _vampire_ bar." He said the word like it was poison being expelled from his mouth, and I leveled a glare at him.

Looking away slightly, I started to defend myself. "I've made my choice. Eric will be a good boss, and we're going to be fine. I'm going to be behind the bar fulltime, and since he sets on stage most nights, no one would dare to touch what's his." Realizing what I had just said, my eyes widened slightly, and Sam stood up.

"_His?_ Are you saying that you're seeing _Eric Northman?_" He demanded, and I put my chin up.

"Sam, you have no say in what I do. So don't act like you know what's best for me." I stated, and hoped that he wouldn't push the issue.

"Sookie, he's a manipulative, self-centered asshole who only wants you for your blood and your body. He's going to hurt you, and you might even end up dead. But even if you don't, then I'm sure he'll get bored with you eventually. What then? I've never heard of the bloodsucker having the same woman for more than a week, and he's no good for you. What would your Gran say?"

"She'd say that since you're my friend, you should respect what I want. Why can't you accept him?" I asked, and stared him down.

"Please Sookie, don't do this. What can he give you but death and hurt? He can't give you kids, and he'll never let you go unless you get away now. We could have a family together." He muttered the last part under his breath, and his eyes were pleading.

"Sam, your one of my nicest friends, and you've always been there for me. But I love Eric, and he loves me. I'm sorry that you can't see that." I said with finality, and left him in his office. As I walked down the hallway and around the corner, I was surprised to see Eric standing there waiting for me.

Tears leaked from my eyes at the sorry expression on his face, and he took me in his arms. "Maybe he'll understand eventually, and it'll be okay. I'm sure he won't just abandon you as a friend." He said, trying to reassure me. I glanced around for a second, and took in the faces that stared at us. A few people looked sympathetic, while some seemed not to care, but almost half of them looked angry. The angry ones, with their aggressive anti-vampire sentiments looked away from our display in disgust, and I tried to ignore them all. Eric's silent touch kept me from hearing the thoughts, and he kept his arm around my waist as we exited the bar a minute later.

"Let's go to Fangtasia." I said after a minute, and he obliged me by taking the driver's seat of the car.

We were about half way to Shreveport, when he suddenly smiled, "I think the transmission is going out of this car."

I groaned internally, as I had hoped that he wouldn't notice the problems with my car. "Please don't buy me a new car. I want to get one for myself, and I almost have all the money to do so."

"Are you sure? I could get you a nice BMW to match Pam's, or you could have something else. I'll get you anything you want." He promised, and I didn't doubt it a single bit.

"No thank you." I smiled, and he smiled back. Fangtasia was just opening up when we got there, and a crowd had yet to form outside.

"Good evening Pamela." Eric said as we approached her at the front door.

"Master. Sookie." She said, nodding to us as we passed by her. "Kristen got held up by something in New Orleans, she'll be here before we close tonight." He just nodded, and we continued into the bar.

We went straight to his office, and something seemed to occur to him. "Mark, the man you recommended for me to hire, starts working tonight at ten, and you seem to know where everything is. Can you help him get used to this place? I don't want Ginger showing him the wrong stuff." He said, looking at something on his computer.

"Sure." My voice was slightly muffled as I was changing into a _Fangtasia _t-shirt. His eyes glued themselves to me as he turned to see me change, and I blushed slightly. I had just adjusted myself in the shirt when suddenly he had his hands pressing against my back to hold me to him. I looked up, about to question him, when his lips met mine in a feverish kiss and I found myself pressed up against the filing cabinet a second later.

Enjoying the attention, I let him continue for several minutes, before finally pushing him back. "You have some work to do." I reminded him, and pushed him down into his chair. "So do it."

"Yes ma'am." He said sternly with a smile, but gave me a pouting expression as I walked out the door and closed it behind me.

Glancing back down the hallway outside his office, I could see Mark coming awkwardly out of the employee lounge. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans, and a simple red shirt. "Mark, I'm going to be showing you around the bar." I walked toward the area in question, and he followed me. It didn't bother me to dip into his head for a moment, and I smiled when I heard him thinking of only his kids and how he hoped this job would work out.

"Don't worry. You'll do fine here, just don't make Eric angry, and keep up with orders." I reassured him, and he smiled at my comforting words. _She's a really nice girl; I wonder how she got mixed in with vampires. _I heard him think, and smiled to myself. His thoughts about my involvement with Eric weren't menacing like most other peoples, instead he had a genuine curiosity about me, and I hoped he would be a good person to work with.

When we got behind the bar, I sent Ginger out to bus tables, and started to show him everything. "Where should I stay at most of the time?" He asked once he was sure he remembered my instructions.

"Just judge for yourself who needs the most help, and go with your instincts. Ginger will probably need you most, since I am perfectly capable of handling the bar." He nodded; absorbing everything I had to say, and got to work helping Ginger as the crowd started to build.

In less than an hour after opening, the bar was packed, but I kept up with orders with ease. Testing with my shields, I started to mentally drift through the room, touching on different random minds in order to weed out any trouble makers.

_This place is great, but that hot vampire everyone talks about hasn't showed up yet._

_I wonder if they have coffins anywhere. _

_That waitress is cute, but he's wearing a ring. Oh well. _

_What should I get to drink? _

_Oh no, where's Eric? I was hoping to offer myself to him tonight._

The last thought touched a nerve with me slightly, but I ignored it as best as I could, and continued to scan the bar.

Nothing really seemed out of place until I noticed a man setting in one of the booths farthest from the stage, looking around as though he were scared. With the way he sat, and the message his body language was giving off, I could hear the alarms in my head.

Dropping my shields again, I reached for his mind.

_Oh man, this isn't going to work. There's no way that Reverend Newlin will get someone with a silver bomb in here. This place is guarded by that freaky blond fanger at the front door, and there's vamps everywhere. Someone's going to know something's up as soon as we walk in next time. The reverend won't be happy when I report this back to him. What should I do?_

I continued to listen to his worrisome thoughts for several minutes before acting. "Pam, I need you." I said at little more than a normal speaking level, and after putting Mark in her place, she came over to the bar.

Seeing the look on my face, she was immediately on high alert. "What's wrong?"

"That guy over there is a spy for the fellowship of the sun." I whispered, and pointed to the man sitting in the booth. "Newlin sent him here to scope the place out, and see how they could plant a bomb in here. They plan on setting it off during the day when they think you and Eric will be sleeping in the basement. His name is Jeffery." Her fangs shot down, and several patrons scurried away from her at the distinctive sound.

"Good job, I'll handle it from here." She sauntered off, mingling into the crowd for several minutes, before slowly walking up to his table. The man's thoughts turned to sheer terror for a moment, before Pam glamoured him, and led him downstairs. "We'll let Eric handle him later." She told me as she returned from the basement, and headed to the front door.

Eric came out a little while later, and gave me a quick kiss before taking his place up on the stage.

It was a little after midnight when the crowd really came in, and I worked at a breakneck pace to keep up with orders. But I was mostly relaxed, and could feel Eric's comforting gaze slide over me frequently. Looking up at him, I smiled brightly, and was just returning to work when I heard it.

_This dead son-of-a-bitch is done for. I don't know what they did to Jeffery, but we're gonna find him as soon as this fanger is really dead. _

I could see the man, with his hand reaching for his pocket, and he approached the stage. "Eric!" I shouted, dropping a glass onto the counter, and he immediately found the source of my panic.

The man heard me, and pulled the stake out of his pocket, before rushing toward the stage. Eric stood with his fangs bared, and growled menacingly.

_NO!_ I shouted in my mind, and suddenly with a pop I was standing between Eric and the attacker. Without a pause to figure out how I'd gotten there, I lifted my hand, and my light shot him square in the chest. The human flew off of his feet, and landed in the hands of Pam, who immediately disarmed him. For a moment I thought the fighting was over, until I caught the hurried movements in the right corner of my eye. Standing just barely inside the front door of the club, a man with a crossbow raised it, and pointed it up at Eric. I could also see another man with a stake off to my left, who was rushing toward the stage, and I trusted Eric to be prepared for him. Glancing back, he was solely focused on the staker, and I said a silent _I love you._

The bar had gone silent, even the music was gone, and most of the patrons lay cowering on the floor. So as I took the step to place myself between Eric and the shooter, I easily heard the distinctive faint sound of the crossbow. Nothing ever struck Eric, who had just moved away from me to disarm the man with the stake, and when he turned around he was horrified.

Looking down, it was almost absurd, to see the arrow shaft sticking out from my chest. I hadn't felt the impact, or any pain, and now I stood there staring down at it as though it were almost a complex joke. Eric was suddenly there next to me, pulling me into his arms, and I smiled up at him. "It was worth it to save you." I whispered, and a single tear rolled down from his eye as dark spots appeared in my vision. I gasped as the pain suddenly hit me, and the effort I hadn't realized I was exerting to keep myself awake came crashing through me. Closing my eyes, I fell back into his arms, and vanished into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

_(Eric's POV)_

Sookie took a step closer to me from behind, but I ignored her, and charged the few steps to take the man down. I felt a wave of sudden love come from her, and tried to send her reassurance, but it was dominated by the intensity of her emotions.

I tore the stake out of the human's hand, and Mark hurried from near the bar to restrain him. The slight twang of what could only be a crossbow caught my attention, and nothing hit me, but I could hear the tear of fabric and flesh from behind me.

I turned around instantly, and couldn't stop the fear from creeping over me as I witnessed the arrow protruding from the center of her chest. With the kind of speed that only a vampire has, I leapt to stand behind her, and pulled her against me. "It was worth it to save you." She whispered, and I could feel the cold bloody tear on my face. Before I could respond, she gasped and I could feel the spike of pain from our bond. She slumped back into my chest, and I took her up in my arms. A dark red spot formed around the arrow shaft, and began to spread across her shirt. The few vampires present caught the scent of her blood, and their fangs dropped as they moved closer. I snarled viciously, and all four of them disappeared out the door at the likelihood of facing my wrath.

Pam came over with a _Fangtasia _logo blanket, and with her help we wrapped Sookie up, before taking her to my office. She cleared my desk for me, and we lay Sookie down as gently as possible. I removed my shirt, and balled it up before putting it under her head, then pulled up a chair from the corner.

"Get Ludwig here, now." I ordered as I sat down, and she immediately pulled out her phone and went out to the bar to take care of the humans. She closed the door behind her, and the tears began to streak down my face.

With my hand, I began wiping the blood away and applying it to the inside of her mouth in an effort to keep her alive long enough for Dr. Ludwig to arrive.

It only took ten minutes before Pam came back in with Ludwig behind her, and the short troll of a woman got to work immediately. "Vampire, put your hand around the base of the shaft, brace her skin, and pull it out as fast as possible. Then feed her your blood."

I did as I was told, and as my blood started to dribble into her mouth, the doctor started to treat the wound. It was all I could do not to tear up again when the bleeding of the wound didn't stop. "Something's wrong." Ludwig said, "Her blood should be clotting by now, and it's not." She picked up the arrow from where I'd tossed it, and examined the head. "Damn it." I heard her mutter under her breath, and I turned my head toward her in question. She sighed, "The arrowhead is barbed, and was coated in a de-coagulant poison. They intended for it to kill you before you could heal, but obviously they missed. Now the poison is keeping her blood from clotting." Pulling something out of her bag, she revealed a small glass vial of a dark purple substance.

"What is that?" I demanded, before letting her apply it to Sookie's wound.

"If you want her to live, then you need to let me work, vampire." She said, and started to rub a few drops of the thick purple substance into the hole. "This is something I invented, sort of a human-healing blood concentrate. It's the perfect mixture of vampire and human blood, along with a few other chemicals, which instigates healing on any damaged area." I watched hopefully as the savage hole smoothed slightly and scabbed over, and I felt a response from her mouth under my wrist. She swallowed several times, taking my blood, and I kissed her forehead. I looked up from Sookie's face to see Ludwig staring at me intently. She nodded, before examining the area around the hole. "She should be fine now. The arrow punctured her left lung, missing her heart and any other vital organ. But the wound is only closed. It's not completely healed. Make sure that when she wakes up, she doesn't go back to sleep or slip into shock. Feed her another cup of your blood as soon as she opens her eyes. Don't let her exert herself too much, or the hole could open back up." She started to pack things back into her bag, and threw away the used gauze and towels. "I recommend you take her to a hospital for x-rays, and mind her breathing to make sure it isn't too labored."

I nodded, and thanked her for coming so quickly. Pam stepped forward from the corner, where she had stood the entire time, and I quickly listed off my orders on what I wanted her to do. She hurried away to close the bar, and sent Mark back to the office just as I'd asked. "Here's the keys to my car." I tossed him the set of keys, "Pull it around back, and wait there."

I took Sookie up into my arms carefully and slowly walked to the back door. In reality, I wasn't walking, but gliding less than an inch off of the ground so as not to jostle her, but no one would notice. I slid into the back seat, and looked at Mark. "Take us to the Ochsner medical center in New Orleans." He nodded, and started to drive.

Mark broke every speed limit, and the drive took just over 4 hours. I ordered Mark to return to Shreveport with my car, before picking Sookie up, and carrying her in.

"I need a doctor!" A nurse shouted when she saw me walking in with Sookie, and I lay her gently on an empty bed in the hallway. They wheeled her into an empty room at my request for privacy, and started to take all her vital signs just as I started to fill out paperwork. In doing so, I realized just how little I knew about her history, and decided to call Jason to answer different questions. Her brother had never seemed to be the smartest person, or full of common sense, but he loved his sister and helped me without protest. I promised to call him as soon as I knew anything, and gave the nearest nurse the completed paperwork. Using the skills that I'd gained over the years, I lied smoothly about her having an accident in the woods, and they bought it without question. I told them that I hadn't seen what happened, but had found her right afterward.

Very few of the staff seemed openly frightened of me, while most did their best to keep up a professional demeanor. But every person who entered the room was twice as careful about making mistakes of any kind while I watched over her protectively.

It was just half an hour before dawn when Pam arrived with our light-tight travel van. She called Alcide Herveaux, who agreed to be there as soon as possible to watch over Sookie during the day, and arranged for a guard to stay by our van during the day.

I went out into the van, where Pam was already asleep, at the last possible moment. My mind fought my body, and I stayed awake for a long time, caressing the bond between Sookie and myself. She didn't stir, but I kept sending waves of love and reassurance her way, until the sun finally pulled me under.

When I rose that night, it was still half an hour before sunset, and I could feel that Sookie was still asleep. But it was different somehow. Her sleep was strangely less peaceful, almost as though she were forced into a deep slumber.

Being in the underground parking structure, I trusted that the sun wouldn't find me, and exited the van being careful not to disturb Pam. A man wearing civilian clothes exited the passenger seat at the front of the van, and met me around the side as I stepped out. "Sir, I would recommend staying down here in the parking structure. The sun is not quite gone yet."

"I'll be fine, watch over my child until she wakes, then be gone." I ordered, and he didn't react or move as I started toward the elevator.

The sun was just over the horizon when I got up to the 12th floor with her room. I glanced out the window as the last stray beams of light reddened my skin, but didn't do any real harm. I walked down the white hallway to her room, and opened the door quickly.

Alcide still sat in one corner, flipping through a magazine, and looked up warily as soon as I entered. "She hasn't changed any. But the nurse told me that they wanted to ask you a few questions when you got up. I'll tell them you're in here on my way out." He said, answering my unspoken question, and stood to leave.

"Thank you." I said, swallowing my pride. "For being here when I couldn't."

He seemed unsure of what to say, and finally just nodded and walked out after one more wistful look at Sookie. I pulled a chair up next to the bed, and took one of her hands in mine before setting down.

A nurse came in a minute later, with a clipboard, and looked slightly nervous as she approached the bed. She jotted down a few notes after looking over the machines, and finally turned to me. "Sir, may I ask you a few questions?"

I gave the signal for her to continue and she looked down at her paper, flipping through them clumsily. "Are you related to her, in any sort of biological way?"

"No." She nodded, and started to write.

"Do you have reliable contact with her biological family?"

"Yes." Jason popped into my mind, and I made a mental note to call him when the nurse left.

"Upon waking up, would Miss Stackhouse be willing to make a statement clearing you of any liability for her injuries?" She asked, and I could hear the undercurrent of accusation in her voice. It didn't surprise me that the doctors and nurses might suspect me for being the cause of her injuries.

"Yes." Of course Sookie wouldn't blame me, even if I blamed myself, and I smiled slightly more.

"Do you know of any domestic abuse occurring in her home?"

"No, she lives alone, and has a very good relationship with her brother." I clarified for her, and she seemed appreciative as she wrote down my responses.

"Have you ever inflicted any physical injury upon Miss Stackhouse, against her will?" She stared at me intently, and seemed disappointed when I answered.

"No. I am her fiancé, and would never hurt her." To my annoyance, her eyes looked to the hand I held, likely trying to find a ring, and I made another note to ask Sookie to go along with my lie when she woke up. Maybe she'd even let me buy her a ring at the nearest jewelers for show. I could only hope.

The nurse looked at me disdainfully, and my aggravation finally got the better of me. "Why hasn't she woken up?" I asked, trying not to sound too demanding, but still firm.

"We gave her a sedative to help her stay asleep." I raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation. "Often times with these types of wounds, where the patient can't actually see the damage, it is assumed by the patient that the injury isn't very bad. So there's a high chance of her being too physically fit and hurting herself further without even realizing it." I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant, and knowing that Sookie would do just that. "Plus, while she's asleep, it lets her body focus on healing itself. So you can expect her to be very tired even when she is awake."

She picked up the clip board with Sookie's information from the end of the bed, and leafed through the pages. "We're going to stop giving her the sedative drip at about ten, and let her wake up if she's ready. Then we'll try to see if she's comfortable eating. Whatever it was that punctured her chest left a hole in her left lung, and it nicked her esophagus, which may cause a slight pain when she swallows. The hole in her lung is very small, and will heal with time. We suspect that it was more of the suddenness of the damage that caused her mind to shut down."

I took in everything she said, making plans for when she got home in the back of my mind, but I could tell that there was more. Urging her to continue, she took a deep breath, "With the trauma to the lung, the doctor believes that in the future she will likely experience asthma-like symptoms. She will probably have shortness of breath from time to time, and her family doctor can give her an inhaler to help her with that."

She left then, and I pulled my phone out as I felt Pam wake up, and called her. "I want you to get ahold of someone about putting air filters in Sookie's house to minimalize anything that could harm  
Sookie's breathing further. Also find out who Sookie's doctor is, and make her an appointment for next week sometime at night, when I can go with her. Then find me some daytime supe guards for Sookie, people that Alcide Herveaux recommends." I hung up, and felt Pam's determination as she started to follow my orders. I knew Alcide had an attraction to Sookie, and would put real thought into whoever he recommended.

I called Jason at around nine-thirty and assured him that Sookie would be fine, and that I'd have her home as soon as possible. Just as I hung up with him, something occurred to me, and I dialed the number for Merlotte's.

"Merlotte's, this is Arlene." I could hear the bar in the background, and knew it was probably busy.

"Can I speak with Sam?" I asked, and she asked me to wait while she got him.

"This is Sam." He said into the phone a moment later.

"This is Eric Northman. I was just letting you know that Sookie got hurt last night, and I have her at the hospital in New Orleans. I understand that you do not like me, but I know what she would want you to be aware that she's going to be fine and will be home soon. You can talk to Jason about visiting her when she gets home." I didn't give him a chance to speak until I was done.

"Vampire, if you hurt her, then I promise I'll be sharpening my stakes." He threatened, and I almost laughed at the thought of him trying to hurt me.

"I am not the one who hurt her, and the person who is responsible will be dealt with quite soon. I promise." He was silent, and I could almost hear the chill run down his spine.

"Well…thanks for letting me know. I'll tell her friends for her." He said, and hung up.

I smiled as I put the phone back into my pocket.

At half past ten, the doctor came in and told me almost all the same stuff that the nurse had, and proceeded to remove her sedative drip from the IV rack. "This will wear off in about fifteen minutes, and then it's up to her whether she wakes up or not. If she wakes up, then she will be allowed to leave as long as all these last tests come back okay." He said, taking two vials of her blood. "It will take about a month for her to be fully healed. Or less time, depending on your involvement." He said the last part in a quieter voice, winking at me as he left, and I understood exactly what he meant.

Close to midnight, I felt her side of the bond begin to buzz with activity, and I knew she was waking up. My cold heart warmed a little as she opened her eyes, and I felt an immense relief wash over me.

She blinked around the room for a long moment, as her eyes adjusted, and she looked at me in question.

"Do you remember what happened?" I asked, and she nodded after a second.

"You're in the hospital in New Orleans. I brought you here after Dr. Ludwig seen you first." She accepted that, and hesitated before speaking.

"Does Jason know?" She asked, a little nervous.

"Yeah, I just talked to him a little while ago. He said he'll be over to see you as soon as you get home." I paused, and she looked at me in my silence. "Ludwig said that when you woke up, I should feed you my blood. Are you okay with that?" I wondered if she realized how much blood I'd given her in the last 24 hours, and whether or not she would feel the effects.

"Of course." I got up, securing the door lock, and quickly bit into my wrist. She drank deeply for a moment, and I couldn't help the arousal that I got out of it.

She smiled slightly after letting my wrist go, and I knew that she'd noticed the bulge in my pants.

A knock sounded on the door, and after making sure there were no traces of my blood anywhere, I let the doctor in.

Sookie ate a large meal, with lots of small portions of different foods, and I suspected she felt no discomfort while swallowing. The doctor noticed this as well, and I gave him a threatening look that he only responded to with a smile and a nod. Pam came in, seeming genuinely concerned with how Sookie was doing, and I realized that her feelings toward my bonded had changed dramatically over the last week.

The doctor left when Pam arrived, and Sookie looked at me. "He likes you. Now he knows that vampires can't be so bad when one like you obviously cares about me. His daughter used to come to Fangtasia all the time before she moved away for college, and she'd told him all about how brutal you could be. He respects you, and assumes that you're always so ruthless with others to protect me."

I nodded, and decided that the hospital would appreciate a large donation.

But looking at Sookie, I could see that she was deep in thought, and something seemed to be bothering her. "What's wrong?" I asked after a moment.

"It's nothing really…I was just wondering about the medical bills. I hope my boss doesn't mind if I ask for more shifts." She said with a smirk, and I chuckled for a second, before getting serious.

"Don't worry, you're job comes with medical benefits. You get medical and dental insurance." She looked shocked for a second, before shaking her head.

"Eric, you can't just go paying for everything that happens to me." It was as though she didn't expect me to take care of her, as I intended to.

"Sookie, don't be ridiculous. You are mine, and I take care of mine. I've had a thousand years to amass my fortune, and the only person who really spends is Pam, but even she can't make a dent in my accounts. Your medical bills are just pocket change for me." She looked away sheepishly, and I knew I had made a mistake.

As a child, she'd never had much, and what I called pocket change was several months of hard work for her when she worked at Merlotte's. Never had she had the opportunity to spend without worry, or to buy something expensive on a whim.

"Sookie, you chose to be with me. I even lied to this hospital about being your fiancé. What's mine is yours, and spending money to make you better is something I'm happy to do. I'm privileged to be able to take care of you, and I'm grateful to you for saving me from the monotony of my long life." A tear streaked down her cheek, and she leaned up to kiss me fiercely.


	9. Chapter 9

(Sookie POV)

I lay back down when the pain in my chest became unbearable, but didn't regret my actions.

I'd always suspected that if I chose Eric, then he would want to take care of me, but I hadn't understood the extent of his caring. All my life I had had to fight for what I wanted to have, and I had always worked hard to get where I was. It was difficult for me to wrap my mind around not having money problems, and if I tried to come up with something expensive I wanted to buy, I couldn't. I still planned to pay for and buy my own car, and I hoped to put some improvements into the land around Gran's house. The old Willow tree on the edge of the woods by the driveway needed trimmed, and I wanted to replant her garden.

But all of that could wait, and was just a side thought as my mind had suddenly focused on what Eric had said. He'd lied to the hospital about being my fiancé, but strangely, it didn't bother me. I almost wished it were true.

In my head, I could already see it. I could envision a wedding just after dusk in the backyard. All of my friends and family would be there, and I would be walking down the aisle with Eric waiting for me. Pam would be amongst my bride's maids, and I would like to see Jason standing with whoever Eric would pick for his best man. I could find a minister to marry us, who knows Swedish, and it would surprise Eric to be married in his own language.

Those thoughts faded away as his other words replayed in my ears. I had never believed that someone as completely non-special as myself would get Eric, but now I wasn't so sure. He made me feel like the most important person in the world, and maybe for him, that was true.

But I couldn't believe it.

I _wouldn't_ let myself.

If something happened now to take him away from me, it would destroy my life. I wasn't going to build myself up like I had with Bill, only to have everything come crashing down around me. Of course I knew that Eric wouldn't betray me like Bill had, but I couldn't help the doubts from creeping in to darken my view of the world around me.

Pam had left during our moment, and returned then, interrupting my thoughts. "Sookie, is there anything you would like for me to get? Some new clothes?" Her eyes lit up at the prospect, but I shook my head, and looked at Eric.

"When can I go home?" I was eager to be home, where I could really relax without medical staff constantly watching.

"I'll go see." He exited the room quickly, and Pam looked at me, unsure of what to say.

"Pam…Eric said that he told the hospital he was my fiancé. Do you really think he would want to marry me?" I asked her in a quiet voice, hoping that Eric wouldn't hear.

She hesitated, unsure of what to say, and glanced toward the door nervously for a second. Finally she sighed, and looked me in the eye, "I have been with Eric for a long time, and I don't think I've ever seen him as devoted to one person as he is to you. For the year that you were missing, he didn't feed from anyone, or have sex with anyone, or even care about anyone. All he could focus on was finding you, and trying to get to wherever you were. I'm almost certain that he would be delighted to marry you." The look on her face said that there was more, but Eric came back in with the doctor behind him.

"Miss Stackhouse, your fiancé here says that you would like to go home before it gets too late. Is that true?" He asked, with a stack of papers in his hand.

"Yes please." The stack was handed to me, and I started to look through them.

"Those are all of the information you need about recovery time, and what you should and shouldn't do until you heal up. I'm certain that you will make a nearly full recovery, and if you have any problems, then you should see your regular doctor. Could you please sign these discharge papers?" He handed me a clipboard, and I signed on the dotted line.

"I don't actually have a regular doctor, since I've never been one to get sick." I told him, and could see Eric looking slightly surprised.

"Would you like a copy of everything from your stay here? This way you can give it to any doctor you visit?" I nodded, and Eric gave him a card with a fax number on it for the paper work to be sent to.

Pam left the room with the doctor, and Eric helped me get into a pair of comfortable sweat pants and a t-shirt. I insisted on walking myself out, but Eric was persistent, and I ended up letting him carry me in the elevator, and through the parking garage. He opened the side door of the van, while Pam took the driver's seat, and it looked like a small living room on the inside. There was a narrow walkway going from the center of the back all the way up to the front, and on either side was the same kind of bed that Eric had put in the cubby at my house. He set us down, and held me in his lap for the drive back to Bon Temps.

The whole way I couldn't help but keep thinking about my future with him, and how much I wanted to stay with him. He'd become such a pivotal part of my life that I couldn't picture myself without him around. We were only an hour away from Bon Temps, when I finally got the courage to ask him.

"Eric, would you want to marry me?" I asked in a small voice, and I thought I felt the van swerve slightly. His eyes betrayed his shock, and when he didn't immediately answer, I thought I had made a mistake. I looked away from him, towards the floor, and the tears began. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." My voice cracked, and his hand came up to cup my cheek. He turned my face to look at him, and I could see the bloody tears welling up in his eyes.

"Sookie, nothing would make me happier than to marry you. Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, as though I would rethink it.

"Yes. Always yes." I said, and he kissed me.

"When?" He asked, pulling back.

I thought for a moment, before chuckling and admitting, "I don't know."

The rest of the drive flew by, and finally we pulled up into my driveway.

"Eric can you go turn some lights on, while I talk to Pam for a second?" He seemed confused, but I sent him and wave of reassurance, and he went inside.

"What do you want Sookie?" Pam asked, and she seemed almost sad.

"I know you lover Eric, and you wouldn't do anything to hurt him. So I want you to be my maid of honor, and if you would like, then you could help me plan the wedding." I knew Tara would be disappointed, but it would mean the world to Eric.

Pam looked like she'd just been punched in the gut, and surprising us both, she hugged me. "Of course. It'll be the best wedding that my makers ever attended."

"I do have one request that I insist on though. Could you find a minister willing to marry us who knows Swedish? I want to surprise Eric by marrying him in his own language." I hoped that it wouldn't be too difficult of a thing for her to do.

"Sookie, I'm sure if you wanted to, then Eric would take you to Sweden to get married. But since I know that's too much for you, I'll do my best to find what you want." I swayed suddenly as a strong wave of fatigue hit me, but refused the help she offered, and turned away from the van. She shadowed me up to the house, and Eric met us at the door. I yawned when he picked me up, and suddenly I was in my bed.

"Darling, you need sleep. Will you do that for me?" I nodded, and he smiled. There wasn't enough energy in me to argue. Looking at the clock, I realized it wasn't very long until dawn. "I'm going to go to Fangtasia for the rest of the night, and do some paperwork. Pam is going to stay here with you. I'll be back tomorrow as fast as I can, alright?"

"Hurry back." I told him, and he smiled.

"I love you." He said, and suddenly he was gone. I assumed that he and Pam bother were leaving as I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was shining through the window, and I could feel its warmth beating through the walls of the old farmhouse.

My chest felt extremely sore, and I found a bottle of pills and a note on the kitchen table from Eric. _Ludwig recommended these for your pain. –E._

I smiled, and took the recommended dose that was written on the bottle. The soreness immediately ebbed away to only a slight ache, which was nothing I couldn't handle.

Looking outside, it seemed like a gorgeous summer day, and I went upstairs to change into my favorite swimsuit. Lying outside in the sun, I felt completely relaxed, and started to read a book to pass the time. It was just after one when a truck with _Herveaux construction_ written on the side pulled up the driveway, and Alcide stepped out. But I could see that someone had stayed in the vehicle.

His eyes roamed over my body, but I ignored his suggestive stares, and smiled as he got closer. "What can I help you with Alcide?"

"Well, Eric asked me to stop by and introduce you to someone. Nick!" He yelled back to the truck, and a man stepped out.

_Whoa, I knew Eric had a girlfriend, but I didn't think she'd be this good looking._ I dipped into his head, and blushed slightly. Alcide noticed my change in appearance, and rolled his eyes as he assumed what I had done. "Hi, I'm Nick. Mr. Northman hired me to watch over you during the days when he's not available. My brother Nathan was also hired, but he won't start until tomorrow. We're gonna split the days in half." He was just an inch shorter than Eric, with light brown hair, a chiseled chin and bright green eyes.

I frowned, but didn't protest. I should have known that Eric would do something like this after I got hurt, and I'm surprised that he didn't do it sooner. "Alright, well, here I am. You can call me Sookie, and my house is open to you."

"I'm just gonna go get the layout of the property and house." He said, jogging off.

Alcide continued to leer down at me, and I looked right back up at him. "Are you alright?" He finally asked.

"Yea, vampire blood works wonders for someone who gets shot with an arrow." I chuckled, and he just nodded, obviously unhappy by my admission to taking Eric's blood. "How have you been? How's Debbie?"

He shifted uncomfortably, and a deep sadness emanated from him. "Me and Debbie are done. I abjured her, then I found out she was plotting to come kill you. I stopped her, but she wouldn't stop blaming you for our separation. She tried to cross Bill's lands about a week ago with a shotgun in her hands, headed here. His guards stopped her, but when she tried to charge past them to get to your house, they put her down." He looked off towards the woods for a second, before returning his attention to me. "I'm surprised Bill didn't tell you."

"Well, Bill hasn't exactly been my friend lately. He tried to have me killed because I chose Eric instead of him." Alcide looked shocked, and glanced towards Bill's property murderously. I decided not to tell him about the blood vial.

"So what's the deal with Nick?" I asked, and Alcide smirked.

"He's a nice guy, he and his brother both. They're were-lions, and they make a deadly team. I've never seen them in a fight, but from what I hear they can handle almost anything. His brother can be a bit of a womanizer, so don't be surprised if he tries to make a move on you. Nick handles all the jobs they get on the business end, so Nathan never knows who he's been hired to protect until he arrives on the job. He'll be here in a bit to change shifts with Nick. We would have been here earlier this morning, but they were doing construction on the highways and I couldn't get around it."

"Does Eric know what they are?" I asked, wondering if it had been Pam who had set it all up.

"Yeah, he called me just before dawn to get my recommendations for daytime guards." Nick came back then, and smiled.

"I smelled two vampires in and around the house, and a third one out in the woods that's a fresh as this morning." I fumed at the thought of Bill being on my property trying to spy on me, but also felt a twinge of fear at the thought that he had been there while I slept.

Alcide spoke up before I could. "Bill Compton is not allowed on her property. He's the main threat to her right now, and Eric doesn't want him anywhere near her." Nick looked at me, and I nodded, confirming what Alcide said.

"Alright, well I'll call Nathan before he gets and tell him that. Are you ready to go?" He asked Alcide, and they walked back to the truck.

"I'll see you around." Alcide said out the window as they drove away, and I smiled.

I hadn't had the heart to tell him that Eric and I were engaged, but I knew I would invite him to the wedding. It was less than half an hour later when a shiny dark blue Mustang pulled up the driveway and a man looking almost identical to Nick stepped out, except he had black hair. _Oh damn, this chick is smoking hot. I wonder who hired us to protect her. _His head revealed the womanizing tendencies that Alcide had mentioned, but I could tell he had a good heart, just like Jason. I smiled up at him as he got closer. "Can I help you?" I asked, forgetting to put up my shields up before talking.

_Yeah, you on a silver platter would be a big help._ I cringed at the vulgar thoughts that spilled from his open mind, and quickly blocked him out. "Yeah, my name's Nathan. I'm Nick's brother. I guess someone hired us to look after you during the day."

"Yep, that would be my fiancé, and as I told your brother, my home is open to you. Do whatever it is you do, and I'll just go about my business, okay?" I hoped that he wouldn't hit on me while Eric was around, or else there would probably be a fight.

"Sure, that's fine. I'm just going to look around. Is there anything I should know about you?" He asked, and there was a slightly suggestive tone to his voice.

"Yeah, Bill Compton is not allowed anywhere near me. Eric would throw a fit if he got his hands on me." I said, hoping to drop the hint as to who my fiancé was.

He didn't miss what I said, and gave me a curious stare for a second. Then finally he pressed for more information, "Eric?"

"Eric Northman, the vampire sheriff of Area 5. He's my fiancé." I said matter-of-factly, and he took a step back. He eyed me apprehensively for a second, before turning around and walking away to look at my property. _Shit, why didn't Nick mention who this girl was? Eric Northman could rip my head off and no one would be able to stop him._ I smiled at his thoughts, and stood up to walk into the house.

I called Jason when I got into the kitchen, and he said he'd come right over.

His truck pulled up a few minutes later, and he practically ran up to the house before Nathan stopped him on the porch. I could hear him growling from inside.

"Who are you?" Nathan demanded, not letting Jason inside.

Before Jason could say anything stupid, I walked onto the porch and hugged him. "This is my brother, Jason. He's allowed here anytime." Nathan nodded and stalked off the porch to walk around the house.

We went inside, and I started to make him a late lunch out of habit. He asked me about what had happened to me to get hurt, and I explained everything to him. "So who was that guy outside?" He asked a second later, not protesting when I set two sandwiches in front of him.

"Eric hired him and his brother to keep me safe during the day. Bill hasn't been very nice lately, and Eric wants to keep someone here to watch over me." I neglected to mention anything that Bill had done on purpose, not wanting to insight my brothers often misguided attempts to keep me safe. He loved me and I knew that, but he didn't always think before acting.

Jason nodded and started to eat while I put together three more sandwiches and went outside. "Nathan?" I called, and he came jogging around the house a minute later. "I made you a late lunch."

He smiled, accepting the food happily, and I dipped into his thoughts for a moment. _Wow, I've never had one of our clients make me food before, this is great. Thank you Miss Stackhouse._ I could hear him think it, but he didn't say it.

"You're welcome." I said, without considering what I was doing first.

The plate almost hit the ground as he stared at me, mouth hanging open.

"Sorry." I hurried to say, "I try to keep myself out of other people's heads, but it doesn't always happen, and sometimes I answer questions by accident. It's why most of the people around here call me _crazy Sookie._" I explained, and he nodded slowly.

"Miss Stackhouse, can you read my mind?" He asked, stunned. In his job as a bodyguard he had met lots of different Supes, but he'd never met a telepath.

"Yeah, sorry again. I try not to most of the time, and call me Sookie." I said, making sure not to emphasizing the 'most of the time' part.

"Ok, well, thanks for the food Sookie." He started to eat, and I went back inside with Jason, who was almost done with his food. I cleaned up his plate, and we continued to talk, until finally I was ready to tell him.

"Jason, I need to tell you something." It was obvious from the way I said it that this was important, and I instantly had his full attention. "I'm getting married…to Eric." His face blanked for a moment, and he blinked several times, before finally pulling himself together.

"Are you sure?" I could tell that he was wondering why.

"Yes. Eric loves me, and I love him. I'm not sure just yet when the date is, but I hope you'll come." It would hurt my feelings if he refused to take part in my future, and I hoped he could accept Eric without any problems.

"Of course, Sook. I'm your brother, what else would I be good for. Besides, who else would walk with you down the aisle?" I jumped up, hugging him around the neck, and he hugged me back. "I hope your happy with him Sook."

"I will be." I promised, and started to ask him about dates and details and who I should invite. We worked together on a list of people, until he got a call on his phone, and had to leave. Nathan watched him go, and as soon as he was out of sight, I heard a knock on my front door.

"Come in!" I said, and Nathan walked into the kitchen a second later. "You don't have to knock, just come in whenever you want to." I told him, and he nodded.

"I thought you should know that your brother is covered in the scent of a vampire. I recognize it as Bill Compton's progeny, Jessica." He looked away from me nervously, not sure how I would react.

"That's alright. Him and Jessica have probably been together, and Jason just doesn't want to tell me yet. Jessica's allowed to be here, but only if she's not with Bill or any of his men." I wondered when the witch that Eric knew, Kristen, would be making an appearance. Eric had told me that she could help Jessica, and I wondered how.

"Also, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your brother, about the wedding. I just wanted to say that if you needed a caterer, then I know someone who's really good. Her name is Mary, and she's a shifter." He sounded hopeful, and I picked up from his thoughts that even though she was an excellent caterer, she was having trouble finding work because no one knew who she was.

I got her information before he went back outside, and put it at the top of my list of potential guests. Grabbing a notebook, I started to write out my ideas for what I wanted, and soon I couldn't stop as more and more things popped into my head. When I felt it was time for a shower, I stopped. Finding an old folder in one of the closets, I wrote _Wedding_ on the outside, and put all my papers in one of the pockets. Hopefully I would be able to give it to Pam, and she could start planning based on my ideas and wants.

The sun had just set when I went upstairs, and got into the shower.

I was just rinsing my hair, when I felt someone grab my shoulder from behind. My throat clenched as I started to scream, and a hand clamped over my mouth. "Shh, darling, it's just me." Eric whispered, and I sighed when he released me. Turning around, I found him completely naked in the shower with me, and I smacked him playfully on the chest.

"Don't do that! I could have had a heart attack." I said, exasperated.

He chuckled, "Your heart sounds fine…if not a little excited." One of his eyebrows shot up as he smirked, and his intent was instantly clear as he moved to capture my mouth with his.

When we finally got downstairs, fully clothed and dried off, Pam was standing by my kitchen table. She had my wedding folder in her hands, and she was leafing through the pages. "Thank you, Sookie. This will be a good starting point for the wedding plans."

"There's a number for the caterer that I want in there, and you already know what I want that isn't in there." I smiled at Eric's confusion, and he looked between Pam and I. "Don't you dare command her to tell you anything, or I'll make you be abstinent until we're married." I threated, and he chuckled at my orders.

"Alright, whatever you want my dear." He pulled something small out from his pocket, and suddenly he was down on one knee in front of me. Pam was just as shocked as me, and didn't move as Eric opened his mouth to speak.


	10. Chapter 10

"Sookie Stackhouse, since the moment I first saw you in my bar, I knew you were special. I've come to love you in the past couple of years, and I don't want us to ever be apart. There's so much out there that I want to show you, and I'm willing to spend the rest of my existence experiencing the world anew with you. Will you marry me?"

I was speechless. For a moment, I just stood there with my mouth hanging open and the stupidest of grins on my face. I managed to choke out a few unintelligible letters before finally just nodding, sending him waves of love and assurance and every other emotion that I was feeling. I couldn't help but tear up as he put the most gorgeous ring on my finger. Looking at it, I doubted that I'd ever seen anything so beautiful. It consisted of a simple white gold band, with a large white diamond surrounded by blood red rubies. It was perfect. I fell into his chest, throwing my arms around his neck, and he lifted me up against him. His lips sought mine, and I continued to kiss his neck when he turned his face away to growl, "Go away." I knew he was talking to Pam, and after arching a seductive eyebrow, she disappeared out the door.

"See you at work!" I heard her call behind her.

We got ourselves into Fangtasia, just as the midnight rush started, and I was feeling more energized than ever. Eric and I had bonded for a second time, and I couldn't have been happier. Pam pulled me back to the bar when we first got there, while Eric took up his throne. "Let me see!" She demanded, and I lifted my left hand.

She examined it for several seconds before releasing my hand with a proud look on her face, "At least he's fashionable enough not to get a hideous looking ring." Her tone was teasing, but I knew that she meant it, and we started to discuss dates for the wedding. Finally we settled on March first, and she agreed to start making up different invitations for me to choose from. She was mid-sentence about colors for the paper, when she suddenly stopped and looked at Eric. "He would like to see you." She told me, and escorted me up to the stage.

He pulled me into his lap, before I could say a word, and Pam returned to her post at the door. I waited for him to say something, but when I realized that he wouldn't, I just leaned into his chest and enjoyed the contact. His hand found its way to my hair, where he stroked it slowly, and his other hand rested on my thigh. Of course his face was a careful mask of indifference, but through our bond, I knew that he was anything but stoic. Despite his lack of expression, his mind was racing with activity, buzzing away in our bond. I wondered what he could be thinking of, until it occurred to me that he had a thousand years of thoughts behind him. All of that could be replaying in his mind, or he could be thinking of new things, and I didn't even know how many businesses and deals that he ran all on his own. My own mind reeled at the prospect of how much he had to keep track of, and I considered the possibility of him ever taking a real break.

Perhaps I could convince him to go on a vacation, and let Pam take over for a bit. She was certainly capable, I was sure of that, and if she wanted it then she would probably be a benefit to his ventures.

His mind seemed to calm after several minutes, and at one point, he leaned down to kiss my forehead. I assumed at that point that he was thinking about us, and what the future might hold. Looking up, he didn't meet my gaze, and I noticed that his eyes looked slightly glazed over. I'd seen him with this look before, and I understood that for the moment, he was lost to the workings of his own mind. A deep sadness filled him at one point, only to be followed by fierce determination, and finally acceptance, and I touched his arm in question. He snapped out of his reverie, and just shook his head at me.

We sat there together for a long time, before my curiosity got the better of me, and I dropped my shields. Eric had become accustomed to me doing this, and felt it when I did so through the bond. The flood of emotions and thoughts usually sent me reeling for a split second, but this time I was gradual about it. I let them drop slowly as I drank in the images from every thought in the room.

Most of them were vicious towards me, while others wanted to take my place, and a rare few of them assumed that the lonely old Viking had finally found someone he liked.

_She looks happy…I wonder if that's an engagement ring on her finger…maybe I'll be invited._ Mark's thoughts were interspaced with his work, as he focused solely on what he was doing while he was doing it, and I respected his work ethic.

_This is new. I know I haven't been around for a few years, but I can't believe that Eric would let any fang banger just sit on his lap. Maybe he's doing a favor for someone and protecting her…is that a ring on her finger? Well that's good, at least I know she's not engaged or married to him, and she belongs to someone else._ The sudden wave of inquisitive thoughts came from a woman not standing too far from the bar, with her hair done in fancy curls, and an absurd amount of black covering her body. _Maybe this time, when my works done, he'll let me into his bed unlike the last times. _I picked up that her name was Kristen, and I suddenly realized who she was.

"Eric, I think your witch friend is here." I said it barely above a whisper, and he only sent me the feeling that I was right as his eyes focused on her. Reaching into his pocket, I pulled out his cell phone, and started to text Jessica. More than half way through telling her about the witch, it occurred to me that Bill might snoop, and I quickly revised it. I typed, _Can u com to fangtasia? I been thinkin and I want to talk to u bout Bill. _Eric snatched the phone before I hit send, and added something of his own, then pushed the send button himself. I leered up at him curiously, and he just smiled mischievously.

It didn't take long for Kristen to approach the stage, and by that time I had closed my eyes, to skim the bar for any dangerous thoughts. My focus was completely on the other minds, and Eric knew that. I felt him hold me protectively in his arms, and pull me a little closer, so as I didn't have to worry about my safety while I was distracted.

She seemed taken aback at his actions, since he had never shown affections for a human, and her curiosity was only peaked.

"Eric, who is this?" She asked in an overly loud voice, distracting me, and suddenly the voices of the minds in the room were uncontrollable. I gasped at the cacophony of sounds, and focused on Eric's void to regain myself.

His eyes looked down at me in concern, before glaring at Kristen. "Was that necessary?" He demanded and she just shrugged, not understanding what she had done. I heard the click as he dropped fang, making her jump, "I…I'm sorry? I really don't know what I did."

"It's alright, she doesn't know." I said, putting my hand on his chest to soothe him. He grunted, before retracting his fangs and looking away from Kristen, and toward the door. Pam appeared, and she didn't seem happy with the state Eric was put in.

"Escort her to my office, and wait with her there." He ordered, and Kristen followed her without question at the sight of Eric's anger.

We stayed there for several more minutes, while I forced my shields back up, and finally I smiled at him. He set me on my feet, and kept a hand on my waist as we walked to the office. The crowd parted, no one daring to get in our way, and when the office door opened I was surprised to see Kristen kissing Pam. She backed away, looking at us as though nothing had happened, and I'm certain Pam touched her butt as she moved to leave. "Sookie, do you want to go work the bar while I talk business?" Eric asked me, and Kristen looked oddly triumphant.

"Sure." I mumbled, and left them to join Mark at the bar. He smiled at me when I started working, but stayed silent, and I didn't mind.

Dropping my shield slightly, I reached for Kristen's mind, and watched the scene play out.

'_So Eric, why did you ask me to come here?' She leered at him, hoping it was for something other than business._

'_I have a vampire that wants to be severed from the control of her maker, and I was hoping you could make this possible.' A dozen different spells sped through her mind as options, and she finally settled on one that she had used with success in the past. 'Yes, I believe I could. I'll be needing a few things.'_

_He waved a hand for her to go on with what she needed, and she started to list things off, 'I need at least a few drops of blood from the maker and child, as well as a few feet of rope, a metal bowl, unpurified water from a natural spring, and a lighter or some matches.' It was obvious that he wasn't worried about getting the things, and she thought about how she already had a bowl, water and matches. _But that was only a side thought, while her mind was predominantly focused on something else.As I listened in, she started to imagine Eric naked, and what she would do if she had him in bed. I pulled away from her mind, focusing on my work.

It was only ten minutes later, when I felt Eric's irritation seeping through the bond, and I knew he was getting tired of being alone with her. I found her mind again, and listened in. _Eric was only a foot away, and baring his fangs at her, 'You do not know what you speak of. Sookie and I are bonded, and I would never betray her. Now leave. Mill around the bar until I call for you again.' _I assumed what had happened, and smiled to myself. Grabbing onto the bond like I never had before, I tugged it while sending him as much pride and love as I could, along with a hint of lust.

Suddenly he was behind me, pulling me against his chest. His mouth found my neck and he sucked without biting while his hands roamed my chest. The world fell away, and I had no thoughts about where we were. Biting my lip, I moved my hands up to his arms, unable to resist. "How did you do that?" He whispered into my ear, before kissing just beneath it.

"What do you mean?" I breathed, and he growled low in his chest.

"You summoned me, and I couldn't resist. I had to get to you." Even though he didn't need to breathe, he was nearly panting, and I pressed back against him. His arms came around my stomach to hold me, and I felt his fangs snap down as he continued kissing and nipping at my neck without breaking the skin. I noticed for a moment that it was _too_ silent, which seemed odd for some reason. Then in less than a second, I realized exactly where we were, and started to pull away from Eric. The entire bar was dead silent, and considering the number of hungry looks, I suspected that that was at least partly true. Even the music had for some reason stopped, and every set of eyes were on us.

I glanced toward the door, but stopped myself before I had to face Pam's stare.

"Eric, stop. You need to stop." I said, losing my resolve as he didn't relent with my neck.

"Why?" He growled, and I nearly gave up as he drew a drop of blood and licked it away.

"Eric…where do you think we are?" I asked, but I was ready to just give up.

Suddenly I was facing him, and he lifted me up to wrap my legs around him. I did so, and with a blur of motion, we were suddenly pressed against the inside of the basement door. "Not in the basement." I said, unsure, and he just smiled. With myself still wrapped around him, he walked us down the stairs, and I was relieved to see no one chained to the walls. Although it did make me wonder about what had happened to the men that had ended up in the place. He moved us through the room quickly, and stopped at a trapdoor I'd never noticed in the darkest corner. He lifted the hatch and floated us down, and suddenly we were in a bright lit hallway. It looked like something out of the bar upstairs, with black and red wallpaper, and black plush carpet. Two doors stood on opposite walls at the end of the short hall, one pink fur and the other sleek black leather.

"Pam's idea of a joke…to color code the doors." He explained, and I smiled as he took us down to face the black door. I noticed a keypad and fingerprint reader next to the knob, and after he used both, the door swung open automatically. As we stepped inside, he swung the door closed, and I noticed that it was nearly a foot thick and solid metal, similar to a bank vault door. The steel bars slid into place with a soft clank, securing the door, and he started back on my neck. "This place has everything you need…and no one can get in here but me and you…not even Pam."

I tried to listen as he placed butterfly kisses along my jaw, and we suddenly fell into a large soft bed. "I'll teach you the code, and you can look around…later." He loomed over me with a goofy smile on his face, before pecking me lightly on the lips. I eyed him for a second, before leaning up and wrapping my tongue around his fangs one at a time, and he froze. I worried if I'd bothered him for a second, before he rumbled with a loud growl, and pushed me back into the red pillows with a strong kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

I smiled and stretched as I woke up, enjoying the soreness and my hand played across Eric's chest. He was asleep, and I assumed it was sometime during the day. Sitting up after a second, I looked around the dark room. A small set of accent lights ran along the edges of the ceiling, giving me just enough light to see, and I could see a bathroom across the room.

Turning on more lights as I moved around, I quickly got a shower, and chuckled when I realized there were no clothes for me to change into. Eric was a maniacal genius, but he couldn't remember everything. I grabbed one of his long shirts from a drawer and slipped it on, before finding the kitchen. It was completely modern, with everything either black or chrome, and state of the art. A touch screen was set into one of the walls, and using it I figured out that I could control almost the entire place. Thinking back over the hour I had been awake, I realized there were touch screens in every room.

A digital clock in the corner of the screen told me it was almost five in the afternoon, and I wondered how I had managed to sleep the day away.

My hand was midway to my mouth with a bagel, when something occurred to me and I froze. The memories of the night when I got shot with an arrow bounced around in my head, and the realization of how I'd gotten onto the stage shocked me. I nearly dropped my food as I wondered if maybe my fairy powers were becoming more pronounced. Setting the food on the counter, an odd mix of excitement and fear ran through me, and I wondered if I could do it again.

I closed my eyes, and started to picture where I wanted to go. I imagined my kitchen, and the way it would smell if Gran were still alive and cooking an apple pie. Memories flooded through me of nights spent laughing with her and Jason while she made us dinner. In my mind I could see the old timer on the stove, the cracked floors, and everything that made the kitchen a vital part of my home and life. All at once everything about the place washed through me, and suddenly I felt myself being pulled. It was as though something were tugging my entire body across a space, and a popping noise sounded in my ears. My stomach lurched, and suddenly I was standing over my sink. I reached up, and held back my hair as I heaved with the nausea that was quickly fading. Luckily I hadn't eaten anything recently, and I grabbed a glass to drink down some water. My stomach immediately settled, and I smiled.

Looking around, the gravity of what I had done hit me, and all I could do was giggle with disbelief.

Two hours later, I was in a fresh set of clothes, and back at Fangtasia. I had had to call a taxi, and even though it wasn't cheap to go all the way to Shreveport, I wanted to be there when Eric woke up. No matter how much I'd tried, I hadn't been able to pop back to the small secure apartment below the bar, but I desperately wanted to be there. So after Ginger let me in, I went down to the basement and ended up sitting outside the secure door in the small hallway.

It wasn't long before I felt the bond buzz in activity, and a slight panic took him over when he realized I wasn't there. I said his name into the hallway, and just seconds later I could hear the door opening.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, obviously confused and worried.

I recounted what had happened when I was shot, and then explained how I had managed to move myself to my kitchen. He was surprised by my admission, and started to question me extensively about the experience. We moved into the living room area of his bunker, and sat on the couch.

"Well, I have a few friends that know about fairies from our history books. I'll contact them to see if they have any advice or know anything." He promised to help me figure it out.

"Should we be telling people about the whole fairy thing?" I questioned, and he didn't answer right away. Even though I didn't make a habit of showing off my powers, I knew that word could spread fast. Then it would only be a matter of time before other vampires decided they wanted to walk in the sun while high on my blood.

"You're right to be concerned, but I trust these vampires with my life. They are very old friends of mine, and wouldn't betray my trust. One in particular is quite old, and keeps his existence a well-kept secret." Despite the fact that he didn't ask me to, I went ahead and made a note to myself not to mention it to anyone. The few old vampires I had met seemed to always be quiet about their past exploits.

"What's his name?" I wondered out loud, and he hesitated for a second.

"Julius. He was born at the dawn of the Roman Empire as a human. His father was Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperor, but nobody in the human world would know of him. His mother was a courtesan to the higher ups in the society, and Augustus often took women to relax. When she revealed her baby to Augustus he would not recognize it publicly, but he put the woman and him in a nice home and afforded for them to live in secret. He didn't know who his father was until he reached manhood. When his mother fell ill, she told him the truth on her deathbed, and he ventured out to meet him. His father turned him away, saying he was a liar, and banished him just like he had his daughter Julia only a year prior. Julius and Julia meet a short time later and realize who they are to each other. Then they banded together to travel all across the continent."

We walked into the kitchen, where I disposed of my uneaten but now-hardened bagel, only to retrieve another one from the cabinet. He stopped while I did this, and I motioned for him to continue when he was ready.

"They were in what is now Australia when Julia fell in love with a man she met at night in the equivalent of a bar. He was a vampire, but she didn't know that. After just a few weeks they ended up married, and Julius was the only one who suspected anything was wrong. He confronted the vampire, Marcus, and after a lot of accusation in private he finally admitted what he was. But Julius didn't hate him or attack him, instead he helped to protect him and break the news to Julia. It took a while but she finally accepted him for what he was, and they all lived together for a time. Then after almost two years, Julia was out by a river one day, when a flash flood swept over the land. She died, and her body was lost, but Marcus felt through their bond that she was no more. After a small private service Marcus told Julius he was planning to leave for South Africa, and asked him to go with him. He agreed, and they set out together. They were only in the country for a few months when Julius became sick, and before he died, Marcus turned him." He started to walk away from me, and I followed him to a door I hadn't noticed in the corner of the living room. Opening it, he revealed an office to me. It was very similar to the one upstairs, with a desk and computer and a couch on one wall, but with one difference. The entire left wall of the room was a built in book shelf, and he pulled down one of the older leather bound books. Flipping through the delicate pages, he finally stopped and turned it to show me a painting so realistic that I almost thought it was a photo before I remembered that it wasn't possible. It showed two handsome men standing with their arms clasped together in friendship, with an elephant behind them, and a bit of the African landscape off to the side. The date at the bottom read _South Africa 467 AD._

"This was a long time after he was changed of course, but it's the earliest known depiction of him. They stayed in Africa for almost six hundred years, living amongst the natives and entertaining the tourists, then moved up into Europe. When the news came of the new world, they split up and Julius came here, and settled in what is now California in 1589. He built a little cabin for himself and lived off the land and the natives for a long time, ignoring human affairs, and discovering the new world for himself. He traveled all over South America and Canada and has changed his residence location a few different times. But he's in California now, where he's been since 1904. I'll give him a call later and ask him if he knows anything about your powers." He laid the book on his desk, and I looked at the ornate carvings in the old leather. It didn't have any title or words on the front or side, and I wondered just how old it was.

Of course he noticed my curious stare, and answered my unspoken questions. "It was a gift from him, a long time ago. It's written in several different languages, cataloguing his travels over time, and it comes from a set of only three other duplicates. To put a perspective on the numerical worth, I would say that it's at least three times more valuable than the Mona Lisa. They were created in secret by a master bookmaker, who was glamoured into never even remembering their existence. I have one, while Marcus has another, and Julius himself has the other two. If you want to read it I could have a translated version made for you." He ran his hand across the leather, before giving me a serious look. "Please do not mention them to anyone. Not even Pam knows about them."

I nodded, understanding, and looked at the book one more time before smiling at him and changing the subject. "Why don't we go open up the bar?" He agreed, and after he put on clean clothes, we went upstairs.

Pam arrived just as Eric unlocked the front door to the establishment, and gave us both a knowing look while she licked her lips. "That was quite the performance you two put on last night, any chance for a private show for me?" I just shook my head, and continued prepping the stuff behind the bar. She checked herself in a mirror one last time before taking her spot at the door.

Eric went to his office to do paperwork as people started to come into the bar, and the place was already packed in less than an hour. Many of the people had been there the night before, and thoughts of our exploits were abundant. Word had spread through the regulars and locals, and almost everyone there was hoping for a repeat. But I promised myself that it wouldn't happen again as long as I had a say in the matter. I held almost a permanent blush as I worked, knowing the thoughts of everyone on what had happened. It was almost eleven when Kristen showed up, and sat at the bar. She didn't order or say a single word for a long time, before finally she caught my eye. "I just wanted to say I was sorry." I blinked in surprise at her words, and didn't respond. She took my silence as an invitation, and continued talking. "I didn't realize how serious you and Eric were, or I wouldn't have tried anything last night. I really am sorry."

I thought for a moment, before just nodding, and focusing solely on my work. She stood up a minute later, and went to one of the booths where Mark waited on her.

Jessica came in an hour later with a paper bag in her hand, and I immediately called Mark over to take over for me while I took Jessica back to Eric's office.

"Enter." I heard him say before I could even touch the handle, and we walked in quickly.

He looked up, and called to Pam, before sending her right back out to escort Kristen back to the office. The two girls came in a minute later, and he sent Pam back out. "Ok, what do I have to do?" Jessica asked, and she had Eric clear off his desk while she pulled her supplies out of her purse.

"Did you bring what I told you?" Eric asked Jessica, and she nodded, handing him the bag in her hand.

He handed it directly to Kristen, and she took it as she studied the things he had had to provide as well.

Finally she asked everyone to sit down in a circle, and we did so. She grabbed her length of rope, and started to work. She put a simple knot at either end, and in the circle, making it the perfect length to lie across the top of the bowl. Then she grabbed the labeled vials of blood from Jessica and Bill. She put a few drops of one on the knot at one end of the rope, and did the same thing with the other. Then she combined the remainder of the blood from both on the center knot. The knots became completely red within seconds, but the blood didn't seep onto the straight rope.

She put the water in the bowl below the rope, and started to speak in another language. She chanted for several minutes, before lighting a match, and placing it on the center knot. Her voice was the only one in the room as a sizzling and popping in the room started from the rope. It blazed strongly for several seconds, only burning the knot, and finally the two halves of the rope fell into the water. I was shocked when the water started to boil, until it finally settled and all that was left was an unknotted rope and pure clean water. We all turned to Jessica, who stared right back. "I don't feel any-" She was cut off as she suddenly screamed, and grabbed her own head between her hands.

Kristen spoke up, shouting above the screams. "It's the bond breaking! She'll be fine in just a few minutes!" We watched as bloody tears of pain ran down her cheeks, and then she stopped screaming.

Her arms wound around her midsection, and she held onto herself as she started to quietly sob. "Jessica?" I asked, her head snapped up to look at me.

Her eyes darted around, like she was trying to find something, then she thought for a second, before speaking quietly. "It's gone…I can't fell the connection anymore. I can't feel him at all…I feel…free." She smiled up at me and I got closer to her, giving her a hug. I pulled back a moment later, and everyone stood.

Just as Eric opened his mouth to speak, I felt a void approaching extremely fast, and suddenly Eric's office door shattered in toward us. "Jessica!" Bill roared, standing there in a rage, and she moved behind me and Eric in fear.


	12. Chapter 12

"What have you done?!" Bill stared Eric down in complete rage, while Jessica put a hand on my arm from behind Eric. I stepped back to stand with her, while partially hiding her as well.

"I haven't done anything." Eric's voice was flat and even, and almost taunting.

"Don't spoon feed me that bullshit, what have you done?" Bill demanded, and finally noticed who else was in the room. He glanced between the witch and her items on the floor. "You." He whispered, narrowing his eyes at Kristen as it started to make sense to him. "You did this." His hands clenched into fists as he moved closer to her.

"No…Bill…she didn't do anything I didn't want." Jessica spoke up, and he stopped his advance, glaring at her.

"Why?" He asked, still angry, and she stepped up between me and Eric.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, and I watched with anticipation. "I'm done with you. You're a terrible Maker, and you've barely taught me anything. I learned more in my short time with Pam, than I did in all my time with you. I don't want you as a Maker and I never have. The bond is broken, and I used Eric to make that happen. He didn't have a choice in helping me because he owed me for helping him get to know Sookie better." Of course she had realized that Bill would blame Eric, and she was covering for him and herself nicely. "Eric, we're even, and Bill, we're done for." She looked between them with her chin held high, and I couldn't have been more proud of her for standing up for herself.

Bill's face scrunched up slightly as he looked at the three of us, and he finally focused on Jessica. "As your maker, I command you to return home." He waited a moment, and when Jessica didn't move, he seemed shocked. "You'll pay for this." He threatened Jessica and Eric both, before turning and storming away. I giggled slightly when he tripped over a piece of the door he'd shattered.

"Jessica…you did well." Eric said, and her face lit up incredibly.

She frowned then, and looked between us. "Wow, I can't believe how easy that was. But now…I don't know what to do with myself." I could hear the hopefulness in her voice, and Eric sighed.

"Jessica, if you would like, then you could stay around and work here in the bar." Eric offered, and she grinned. "I own a vampire friendly apartment complex two blocks away, and you could rent a place there."

"Or you could stay with me; I have a light tight hidey hole in the upstairs guest room at my house." I offered, and she looked speechless for a second, before smiling broadly.

"That would be so great, thank you. I'm going to go to Bill's and get my stuff, and I'll see you at the house." She was at the door, when Eric spoke up.

"Call if there are any problems." He was completely serious as he said it, and she nodded before practically bouncing out the door.

"Kristen, your services are no longer required here. You may leave at your own will." Eric addressed her, and she left without a word.

"I'm glad you gave Jessica the chance to be here." I told him, and he looked at me seriously.

"I have no doubt that she wanted to be out from under Bill of all peoples thumb, but she will still need guidance. By her working here willingly, I will be able to push her in the right directions, but without her even noticing." Suddenly I realized just how much Eric cared for the young vampire, but I didn't say anything. Instead I just smiled at him knowingly.

"We will need to be careful until the wedding. Bill wants revenge, and he will stop at nothing to get it. If you're alright with it, then I'm going to hire some crews to make security changes to the house." He offered, and I thought about it for a few minutes.

"As long as there aren't any big changes, then I guess it's okay." I relented, and by the smile on his face I knew it made him happy. "Now I need to go back to work." Without giving him the chance to speak, I walked out and returned to the bar.

Mark was swamped when I got there, and was relieved to see me. He slid out from the bar to trade places with me, and started going from table to table. I got the bar under control as quickly as I could, and tried not to make any mistakes as I served drink after drink. It was just a couple hours to closing when Eric finally took up his throne, and I did my best to ignore his piercing gaze from across the room.

My thoughts turned mischievous, and I started to stroke the bond subtly. I sent small hints of lust and wanting his way, and I could instantly see the bulge forming in his jeans. Pam chuckled when she noticed, and came over to the bar for a minute. "You know, I think I've underestimated you." She grinned, and I feigned ignorance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't be." I handed a beer to the man standing next to her, and he gulped it down quickly, asking for another. According to his shirt, his name was William, and he worked for an electric company.

"Sure, whatever you say." She waved it off, and returned to her post at the door.

Thinking back, I knew William had paid me as he got his drinks, and that he had had four tallboys already. He finished off the fifth, and set the empty glass down. "Can I get another?" He asked, and I nodded.

I placed the drink in front of him, and my curiosity got the better of me as he started to gulp it down. "Are you trying to have the worst hangover possible tomorrow?" My question threw him off for a moment, before he snorted.

"No, just trying to get a good buzz going. I've had a hard day." His voice was perfectly steady, and I could tell that the large amount of alcohol he had taken in hadn't had time to take effect.

"If you don't mind, why are you here? You don't look like a regular." I observed his outfit, and it contrasted with the gothic look of the entire theme. He stood out from the crowd, and looked like he would be more comfortable in a sports bar.

"No, I'm not a regular, but this place stays open later than any other place in Shreveport. I don't get off work until midnight most nights, and that's too close to last call for my liking." Glancing up at the stage, I could see that Eric was watching me protectively, and I smiled reassuringly a him. "To be honest, you don't look like the type of girl who would work here." The man observed, and I just shook my head.

"My fiancé owns the place, so I work for him." I stated nonchalantly, and he quirked up an eyebrow, before his eyes zeroed in on the ring on my finger.

He whistled low for a second, "That's a hell of a rock, who's the lucky guy?"

I gestured up to the stage, and his eyes bugged out of his head for a minute when he looked Eric over. Pushing forward, I dropped my shields, and dipped into his head.

_Damn, that guy doesn't look big but he sure is scary. I'm certain he's a vampire, so it doesn't really matter what he looks like. He could probably break me in two even if he was an overweight pencil pusher._ Pulling back, I couldn't help the smile on my face, and Eric stared at the man intimidatingly. "Well, I'd say if he treats you right, then you're lucky. From what I hear, vampires are real protective of their girls."

"Yeah, I'm lucky. I didn't think I'd ever end up with him." I made of point of looking at his shirt. "So, _William_, what do you do for a living?"

"Call my Will, and I'm an electrician, sort of. I do a lot of other stuff but mainly I rewire houses and offices. Sometimes I put in security systems, and do home repairs, and just a lot of fun stuff like that. What about you?" I wondered about the changes Eric was making to my house, and wondered who he was hiring. While Will had talked about his jobs I had seen in his head that he knew a lot about security and home modification, and took a great deal of pride in his work.

"You see it, and I'm Sookie. Have you ever done any work for vampires? Like making a house light tight or anything like that?" As I said it, a sort of photo real played through his head about all of his vampire clients, and there were a lot of them.

"Oh yeah, there's a new complex of apartments going up across town, and my office got the bid. So we'll be starting that next week and it'll be a good few months of regular work. The owner of the complex wants the whole place light tight, and I don't start it until next week. I just finished off a site today, and we got paid with a sizeable tip, so I got all this week off." He explained, and I listened as best as I could as I filled orders for other patrons.

"Well…let me ask Eric, but I might have some work for you." I said, and looked up at the stage. "Can you come here?" I asked, and he appeared at my side instantly, while looking at Will dangerously.

Will jumped slightly, and I just smiled. "Eric, this is Will. He does light tight houses and security systems, and is very dedicated to his work. I think he'd be the perfect man to hire to have my house done up." I said, and started to look as indifferent as ever. "Be nice to him." I muttered, and he made a show of smiling.

"Eric Northman." He said, introducing himself, and inclined his head slightly. "You are?" Despite me having said his name, he still questioned him.

"I'm William Shortland…but you can call me Will." I rolled my eyes at the professional look on Will's face, and sighed.

"Well Will, why don't we go to my office, and do some business?" Eric requested, and motioned toward the _Employees Only_ door. Will stood and started toward it.

"He really cares about his work, and always tries to do the best job possible, so don't make him nervous or anything." I asked, and he smiled.

"Me? Intimidate someone? Never." He said, looking wounded, and I swatted his arm as he walked off.

Pam came over a minute later, and looked toward the door where Eric and Will had vanished. "Who was _that_?" She asked, and I could already tell what she was thinking.

"That was Will, and I think Eric is going to hire him to make my house light tight." Her attention wasn't on me, and I wondered if she had heard a word that I'd said.

"Hmm…maybe I'll have to hire him too." My mouth fell open, and I just looked away from her as she leaved to stalk around the bar.

The two men returned emerged from the back hallway half an hour later, and Will had a large stack of papers in his hands. "I'll see you soon, Sookie." He said, and left the bar quickly.

"What happened?" I asked Eric as he walked toward the stage, and he stopped his progress.

"He'll be at your house tomorrow afternoon to look your house over, and then he's gonna call me with an estimate. Don't worry; I'll get it all taken care of. I called a few contacts of mine, and you were right about his work history. He's very good at what he does, and no on that he's done work for in the past has any complaints."

"Alright, when will he be at my house tomorrow?" I had previously wondered if I should have the spare bedroom made light tight, but from what Eric said, he'd have the whole house done.

"Just before dark, so I'll be able to talk to him." He said, and went up to the throne

**The next chapter will jump up to the day before the wedding, so be prepared for some changes. I'll transition them as best as I can.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm going to be writing like the authority isn't a bunch of crazy vampires, trying to take over the world, and focused on worshipping Lilith. In the public eye they act more as a political party, who wants to integrate vampires into the modern world, and keep improving vampire-human relations. But behind closed door they are the ones that oversee the kings and queens of different state, and make the overall decision to appoint new monarchs when necessary, as well as issue commands and punishments.**

I took a deep breathe, and opened the box. Pam had ordered the dress over a month prior, and it had arrived just in time for my wedding. It was all done over with beautiful white lace. The veil ran all the way to the floor, and was dotted with crimson red flowers. We had argued for days over the shoes, until finally we settled on a simple two inch wedge. My fingers ran over the delicate stitching and designs, and I didn't even consider what the price tag must have been. Eric of course was paying for everything, but I hadn't wanted to go too overboard. Pam on the other hand refused to even _look_ at flowers that were less than six hundred for each arrangement.

Jessica had been very helpful, and had made the guest bedroom upstairs into her own place. The light tight modifications to my house had gone off without a hitch, and the entire place was secure for any vampire to live. Of course the wedding would be at night, and the guest list was longer than I could have imagined. It seemed to me like all of Louisiana was coming out for the occasion. Eric being the official he was, had had to invite several vampires who had higher up positions in the government, and security was a big concern. We'd ended up contracting three different security companies to be in attendance during all of the events that would occur over the next few days.

I glanced over at my calendar, and glared at the current date. _March 7__th_. Originally our wedding had been planned for the first of the month, but then of course, _King_ Bill had gotten in the way. Thinking back, I replayed what had happened in my head, on April 20th.

_Going out to the mailbox, I grabbed the stack of envelopes and brought it in to the table. One in particular stood out from the rest, in a black official looking design, with red writing. _

_I wondered at the fact that there was no return address, and opened it carefully. I nearly dropped the single sided invitation card. "Eric!" I called out, hoping it was close enough to dark for him to wake up. Tears streamed down my face as he burst in, and he immediately pulled me into his arms._

"_What's the matter?" He asked gently, but through the bond I could tell he was furious. It made him angry whenever someone upset me, and I hoped he wouldn't do anything dangerous._

_I handed him the card, and he read it with a scowl. His hands clenched as he read it, destroying one edge. "How dare that bastard try to put this on us." He muttered to himself, and held me tighter. "It's alright. Pam is a master event planner. She'll fix all new invitations for about a week later, and we'll send them out tomorrow. Is that alright?" I nodded into his chest, and my tears stopped, but I still wasn't happy. _

_The invitation we had received was more of a demand from Bill, telling us that we were required to attend a summit from April 29__th__ through March 3__rd__. It was to be held in New Orleans, and since Eric didn't already know about it, we guessed that Bill had only just planned it. There was no doubt in our minds that he had done so to usurp our wedding in the hopes of stealing me away. _

We had attended his summit, and gotten through it although we rarely caught a glimpse of the King, and rescheduled the wedding for March 9th. As the king of the state, we were obligated to send him an invitation to the wedding, and we had already sent out the new invitations. So by that time he had already known that we had changed the date. The guest list was gone over, and only one person wasn't able to attend because of the change, a vampire that Eric had invited from Texas who had overseen Godric's affairs after he met the sun. It didn't bother either of us too much, and we hoped that Bill also wouldn't attend even though he'd sent a confirmation that he'd be there.

Eric came into the room then, and I quickly pushed him back out the door. He obliged me by allowing himself to be moved. "What?" He looked confused, and moved his attention toward the bed.

"No!" I said, covering his eyes with my hand. "You're not supposed to see the dress before the wedding!" Beneath my hand, his chest shook, and I knew he was trying not to laugh.

"That tradition wasn't around when I was young, why should I follow it?" I huffed a breathe, and shook my head.

"Gran never let any of us girls near our husbands for the whole week before our weddings, so be lucky I don't follow that tradition as well." I chuckled at the look on his face; as though he were a child and I had threatened to take away his favorite toy. "I'll go stay at Arlene's if I have to." I added, and he pouted slightly more, before a mischievous glint entered his eyes, and suddenly I was slung over his shoulder.

"I would never allow my favorite wench to walk away." He said in a boisterous voice, and I rolled my eyes. We were suddenly in the cubby downstairs, and I smacked his arm lightly.

"No way are we doing that right now! I'm way too busy. Pam is waiting for me outside to pick out different colored chairs and tables." I hoped against reality that he'd let me get some work done, but I knew it wouldn't happen.

An hour later we emerged from the cubby, and I went upstairs to find Pam stowing my dress safely away. She'd slipped it into a hanging bag, and put it all alone on a hook at the back of my new closet.

After weeks of her taking me shopping, I had asked Eric about remodeling the bedroom, and he agreed. Pam had managed to convince me to take away part of my bedroom and bathroom space to allow for a large walk-in closet. Eric and I would sleep in the light tight bedroom on most nights, but we still ventured to the cubby when there was company around, since it was sound proofed.

My closet had enough room to handle all of my new clothes, but I had insisted that she didn't buy me anything else without my consent first.

We found Jessica in the kitchen, warming up a TrueBlood, and I wondered if Jason would be around. They had been dating strongly for several months, and I didn't want to know what they did when they weren't around the house.

Jason had been shocked when I'd told him about how my fairy powers were manifesting, and didn't even believe me until I had popped to stand behind him. He'd asked me countless times if he would start doing the same stuff by accident, and I had had to reassure him nonstop for almost a week afterward.

I'd been practicing with my skills at popping around, and it had become so easy that I barely had to focus to do it correctly. I could take people with me when I moved, but I always felt slightly tired when I tried with more than one other person. Eric had explained it to me by saying that it was like a muscle, and the more I worked with it, the easier it would become. I still walked normally to most places, but sometimes the popping was incredibly convenient.

Stepping out into the back yard, I could see Pam arguing with the florist. Or at least she was talking and he was listening like his life depended on it, and I realized just how right I probably was. "Anything I can help with?" I asked, walking up to the two.

"I've got it handled; _Hank_ here just doesn't understand which types of flowers go with your dress. But it's all settled now. How about we pick our tables and chairs?" She led me away from the frightened man, and over to a set of almost identical seating sets. One was in a natural wood color with a short white tablecloth, while the other was all white, with the wood grain still visible, and a third one was in dark maroon which didn't fit in at all.

"Definitely the natural wood. The all-white table and white chairs would get too dirty with the grass and dirt." She agreed, and we picked out the silverware, then the place settings and the waiters outfits.

The security personnel were all dressed the same in sleek black suits that would blend in, and I hoped they wouldn't bother anyone. But even more so, I hoped that nothing went wrong. It had been months of planning on Pam and I's part, and if it all came crashing down, I wasn't sure what I would do. Large lights had been put up all over that made the place as bright as possible without hurting anyone's eyes. A gazebo had been put up that covered the entire place, and sat right up against the house so people could go inside without getting wet if it rained. A stage where we would stand to say our vows was set up just feet from the edge of the canopy, and was the perfect height, even for Eric's tall form.

We had convinced a preacher from Arizona, where vampire-human marriages were legal, to perform the ceremony at my house. But he would only do it as long as the paperwork was put through the Arizona legal system, which I had no problem with. Eric I was sure had paid him a lot to do it, but I didn't ask for my own piece of mind. He had also just happened to make a large donation to the Bon Temp police and sheriff offices during April, and I knew the officers wouldn't be anywhere close to my property on my special day.

But even with the legal situation handled, I still had to deal with public scrutiny. I'd only gone to Merlotte's once in the last week, and it hadn't started out well. I thought back over what had happened.

_I walked in, and immediately stopped in my tracks. _

_There sat Mrs. Thortonberry, and several of the people from her church. "Sookie, dear, please hear us out." She started before I could speak. "That vampire is going to ruin you. Please don't do what you're planning to do." Her face looked pleading, and when I peeked into her head, all she had were vulgar and offensive thoughts. _

"_Maxine, do me a favor, and stay out of my life." I said, and stormed out. _

_Sam called to me from the door, and I stopped to turn around. He had called me down to give me my wedding present early, and I hadn't seen him inside. _

"_I'm so sorry Sook, I didn't know she was going to do that." He jogged out to meet me next to my car. "She must have heard me call you, here you go." In his hand was a small silver box, with a pretty sheer pink ribbon around it. "I hope you like it, even though it's not much."_

_I got the box open, and giggled as I seen what was inside. It was my first nametag from when I had first started at Merlotte's, with my name in faded letters and a butterfly sticker that Arlene had put on it._

"_I can't believe you kept this." I said, and gave him a hug. _

_We'd talked for several minutes, and he gave me another hug before I got in my car and drove home. _

Eric hadn't understood what significance the nametag had for me, but respected my wishes, and didn't argue when I insisted on keeping the name tag. I'd hid it away in the attic in my special hiding place. I still hadn't disclosed its location to my fiancé, and he hadn't been able to find it yet. Behind a loose board in the wall was a small jeweled box that I had had since I was a kid, and I kept all my favorite mementoes there.

I stood there, with a small black box in my hands, and wondered what Eric would think of the necklace I intended to wear with my dress. It was a gold chain, with a small glass ball on the end, and encased in the glass was the mangled remains of the first silver bullet I had sucked from Eric's chest in Dallas. For a long time I didn't understand why I had slipped it into my pocket that day. Not until months later did I realize that it made me feel closer to him. Even though he had tricked me into drinking his blood, thinking back, I wouldn't have changed a thing even if I could.

I felt Eric's sudden and extreme irritation, followed by anger. After returning my stuff to its hiding spots, I went to find him. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw at the bottom of the stairs. There was Bill's right hand man, named Walter, with an envelope in his hands. He finished what he was saying, and gave the envelope to Eric, before walking away. "What was that about?" I asked as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Bill is going to pay for this." He fumed, and handed me the envelope. I opened it and pulled out a thick stack of legal documentation, which I didn't understand. By the look on my face, Eric could tell I was confused, and he took a shaky breathe to explain. "Bill has gone to the authority, and petitioned them for legal ownership of you as his human. He claims I am keeping you against your will, and demands that I return you to him."

My mouth fell open as the anger rolled through me, "What's going to happen?" I asked, and the anger began to be replaced by fear.

He felt the change in the bond, and throwing the legal papers on a table, he took me in his arms. "It's going to be alright. He won't get away with this. I'll never let him take you." His arms locked around me protectively, and I held onto him as he took us to the dining room table. "Tomorrow night there will be a representative of the Authority here. He or she is going to interview you alone, and based on your answers, a decision will be made. I'm going to file a counter-claim of harassment, and hopefully we'll have more than enough evidence."

"What will the interview be like?" I asked, uncertain of what I should say to the person.

"They will ask questions about your relationship with Bill and I, and you just need to answer honestly. It'll probably be a vampire, so they'll likely try to glamour you. Just go with it as though you are glamoured, and answer any questions they ask as best as you can." I nodded, and he went on to explain about how the Authority operated.

The next day, I was in my room getting dressed after a shower, when someone knocked on my bedroom door. Reaching out, I probed the mind, and found that it was Nathan. "I'll be down in a minute!" I called, and he went back downstairs.

When I stepped into the foyer, I found myself being shielded by Nathan, from the man standing on the porch. "He says he's from the Vampire Authority, and that he has to ask you questions. Can he come in or should I get rid of him?" His voice was hard, and I smiled slightly at the caring tone.

Nathan had lost his only sister when he was only fourteen, and since then, he had never really cared for anyone but Nick. But when he started to work for Eric to watch me during the day, he had felt like I was meant to be her stand-in. I'd been nicer to him than anyone else but his brother, and he had made a vow to himself not to let anything happen to me. He didn't care if Eric ended up firing him, he'd still come around to watch after me. Him and Jason had had a long talk one day in the back yard, and got along like old high school friends.

"It's okay, but don't take off." I said, and he nodded.

The man walked in at Nathan's invitation, with a brief case in one hand, and extended the other hand to me. I shook it as he introduced himself. "Good day Miss Stackhouse, my name is Dan, and I'm here about a claim filed by the king of this state, Mr. Bill Compton. Are you aware of his accusations?"

"Yes, I am aware of Bill's attempt to take me back." I said with a hard edge, and he nodded. "Would you like to sit down for this?" I gestured to the table in the next room, and he took a seat. I sat opposite of him, and Nathan stood in the doorframe.

"I must ask that we do this alone." Dan glanced over at Nathan for a second, and tried to reassure me with a smile.

"No. He is here _because_ of Bill Compton, and it's his job to protect me. I trust him completely and he's not going anywhere." I said, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Nathan's shocked expression.

"Alright…well why do you think you need protection from Mr. Compton?" He asked, while repeatedly glancing at a clipboard which he'd pulled from his brief case, and I knew the questioning had begun.

I recounted all the things that Bill had tried to do to get me back, and he wrote down notes as I talked. I opened up, being completely honest, and told him everything that I thought might be important. When I was finished, he continued to write for a minute, before looking at me.

"Do you think that there is any way you could have been glamoured?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"The vampire's glamour doesn't work on me, so that's not even a possibility." I stated, and he stared at me for a moment, confused.

"Would you care to elaborate on that?" He pushed, and I took a deep breath.

"One of my grandparents was part demon, and the controlling powers that different supes have don't work on me." His eyebrows rose slightly, and I couldn't believe what I had just done. I hadn't planned it ahead of time, but when he asked me to explain, I said the first thing I could think of. Now I just hoped he believed me, and that Eric wouldn't be angry.

After a pause, he wrote something down, and looked at me again. "Are there any other abilities that you possess?"

"None that I care to mention to you, since I don't intend to become a pawn in vampire politics." My voice was flat and definite, and he didn't know what to say for a moment. I looked into his head, and found him reeling at the thought that I couldn't be glamoured.

"Miss Stackhouse…if you and Mr. Northman are to be protected completely by the laws of the Authority, then we need to know everything there is to know." At the mention of protecting Eric, I nearly broke, but I managed to hold off on that for a moment.

"What are you talking about? I've never heard of anyone being protected by the Authority." Eric hadn't mentioned any vampire laws that could help us, and I wondered why.

"Well, when a vampire and human are pledged, or married as you would put it, and they share a bond, then its dangers for anyone to touch either of you. If someone were to, for instance, touch you without Eric's permission, then it would be his choice of how to punish them. He would be fully protected by the Authority if he killed someone who had hurt his bonded, and vice versa." Everything he said came out matter-of-factly, and I couldn't believe what kind of power the bond held.

I couldn't imagine myself given the opportunity to kill someone that had hurt Eric, and for a moment I was unsure if I would be able to. Then I remembered who I was thinking about, and realized that for him, I would do anything.

The interviewer stared at me, and I coughed nervously. "How do I know that the Authority won't try to stab us in the back?"

"Miss…to be honest, the Authority wants power. So if you have something that could help them, then they would like to know. They take care of the people who help them, and they don't turn on trusted allies. If you disclose your abilities to me, then I guarantee I will take them to the people in charge, and no one else will know. As Eric's bonded, if they decide to employ your services, then they will make the request with him instead of bothering you. Nobody who shouldn't know will know, and they will financially compensate you for all your expenses." Looking into his mind, I could read that he was thinking of all the possibilities for what my powers could be, and I almost laughed when he wondered if I could fly.

"Then, I think it will be best if I tell you, that I am a telepath. I can read the minds of humans and weres, as well as every other supe except for vampires. They are silent to me." I stated clearly, and he was instantly worried.

"Don't worry, I haven't gotten into your head yet." I lied smoothly.

He sighed with relief, and started to question me further. After another half an hour, he finished up and left, with only a promise that someone would be in touch with Eric soon.

When he woke for the night, I told him about my visitor, and he was furious. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed someone's number, and I could hear the receptionist on the other end. "This is-"

"I don't care!" He roared, and I thought I heard the woman squeak in shock. "This is Eric Northman, and I want someone in charge to talk to right now." His voice reminded me of when I'd first met him, and how cruel he'd seemed.

The line went dead for a minute, before being picked up by another woman, and Eric put it on speaker phone. "This is Nora, who am I speaking with?" She had a slight accent.

He didn't say anything for a moment, before asking, "Nora, as in _Nora?_ This is Eric."

"Hello brother, how are you?" The woman asked, and I looked at Eric, shocked. He seemed just as surprised, but quickly pulled himself together.

"I'm not happy." His tone suggested he was more than just unhappy. "One of your agents showed up at the house of me and my bonded during the day, unannounced and unwelcome. He interviewed her without talking to me first, and if you send another person here without an invitation, then I promise he will return to you in pieces." The threat wasn't veiled, and I was surprised by how direct he was being.

She was quiet for a moment, and we could hear papers being shuffled around, as well as the clicking sound from a computer mouse. "Yes, here we are." She muttered quietly. "I'm sorry that you didn't know about the visit, but it was approved by someone, hang on a second and I'll tell you who signed the paperwork." More clicking ensued, and she typed something as well. "It says here…that Mr. Bill Compton approved the visit, and signed all the necessary paperwork to make it happen. As your king, he is completely allowed to do so, and…" Her voice stopped, and after a moment she muttered something unintelligible, before speaking up. "Well well, according to this, his request for ownership of your human has been denied, and your counter claim has been received. The agent filed everything away quickly, and the final report says, 'The human woman, named Sookie Stackhouse, is impervious to being glamoured and is already bonded to Eric Northman. As of this time it has been determined that she is with Mr. Northman of her own free will. Based on her own statements, as well as knowledge gained from the public, it is determined that an order needs to be dispatched to King Bill Compton, demanding that he leaves the girl alone. He has tried repeatedly, even after the bonding, to take the girl from Mr. Northman, and has become obsessed with her. If his actions continue in this manner, it is believed that it will be detrimental to his duties as the King of Louisiana.' It also says that Bill has not yet been notified of the outcome of the case, and your claim for harassment is being processed." I was elated. Knowing that Bill had been denied to have me, and that he would be ordered to stop coming after me, was an incredible relief. All that would make it better, was if Eric's counter claim got approved. I leaned over to kiss him, but he stopped me and looked back at the phone.

"What about Sookie's powers, have you made any decision on those yet?" Eric asked, after taking a second to think over everything she had said.

"Yes, and since I am already on the phone with you, I would like to see if she would agree to being tested on her abilities. Nothing difficult, she would just read a few minds and tell us her findings, and we would decide if what she claims to be able to do is true or not. Then we would consider her for employment." Nora sounded hopeful that I would accept, and I nodded to Eric.

"That would be agreeable, but when?" He was ready to be off of the phone, and I could tell. I started to run my hand up and down his leg, and a bulge was quickly noticeable in his jeans.

"We'll call you. Is there anything else that you request of the Authority today?"

"No. Goodbye, sister." He said, and Nora was quick to speak before he hung up.

"Keep in touch." The line went dead, and a hot kiss landed on my lips. I ran my hands through his short hair, and got my grip, pulling him closer.


	14. Chapter 14

He took me up in his arms, but just as we headed up the stairs, a knock sounded on the door. He opened it with me still in his arms, and I was surprised to see Bill standing there. In his hands were a large envelope and his face bore a large triumphant smile. I could see that the yellow envelope was still sealed. "Put her down, we need to talk." Eric sat me down slowly, but I didn't let go of his hand.

"As you know, I filed a petition with the Authority to get Sookie back, and I have the results. I thought we could read them together, before I take you home." His gaze didn't leave my face, and I was disgusted.

But I smirked, and spoke up before Eric could, "Go ahead and read it." I told him, and he smiled, ripping the envelope open.

His eyes scanned the page, and we took a step back. A second later he looked up at us, and all I could see in his eyes was murder. "Get off my property, right now." I demanded of him, and closed the door in his face.

Eric kissed me again, and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I'm honored that you chose me."

"Well, you made such a great first impression, how couldn't I?" I asked with a smile, and he picked me up again.

I woke up on the day of the wedding, to someone pounding on my bedroom door. "Who is it?" I called out.

"It's Nick, your brother is downstairs and he needs to talk to you." The voice was muffled through the light tight door, and I hoped that our talking wasn't disturbing Eric, who was asleep beside me. He'd told me countless times that he doesn't hear me talking and making noise while he sleeps, but I still worried.

"Be right there." I told him, and went to put clothes on.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Jason grabbed me by the waist, and spun me around. I squeaked in surprise, and he laughed. "I got up this mornin' and when I remembered what you're doin' today, I couldn't believe it. I never thought you'd find someone, you know? With your mind reading thing and all." He said, trying to be casual, even though it had always been weird for him to talk about it.

"Yeah, and I'm just as surprised as you, but it's really happening. Thanks' for being here for me. I know a lot of people don't like Eric, but I love him, and I'm doing this no matter what."

Almost two hours after sunset, I stood in my kitchen, almost ready to walk out and have Jason give me away. Pam had stayed in the cubby the previous night, and as soon as she woke up, she had me in a makeup chair. She'd set up an entire 'work' station in the living room, with every beauty and hair product that I could imagine. It only took her an hour to compose my face just right, and then another half an hour to get me in my dress and perfect my hair. When I showed her the necklace I wanted to wear, she was appalled, until I told her what it was. Then she reluctantly agreed to work it in with my ensemble. Since then I'd been sitting in the kitchen, talking to her and Pam, and making sure everything was ready. I hadn't told anyone, but I had written my own vows, and hoped that I'd be able to say them.

Jason had gotten himself ready in a tuxedo to match Eric's, or so I had been told, since I hadn't seen him in it yet. He'd complained about how it fit in different places, but I reassured him he looked just as handsome as ever. Jessica was one of my bride's maids, along with Pam, and Tara. They all wore matching white dresses with small red flowers to match my veil. Pam went to check on the guests, and get them all seated. When she returned, she told me that Bill was out there, and I hoped with everything I had that he wouldn't interfere.

Pam also told me that Eric, all of the guests, and our minister were outside in their places, and I stood to join them in the only way I could. Jason walked me, arm in arm, out the door as the traditional music started to play. As I viewed Eric in his tux for the first time, I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes. The walkway for me had been set with a pure white carpet, and I glanced around the crowd as I walked. I didn't see Bill, but i knew he was there somewhere. As I looked I realized that the humans had all been put on one side, and the vampires were all on another. The numbers seemed to be even, and I wondered if Pam's masterful planning had made it happen.

I reached the stage, and stepped up in front of Eric, where Jason released me and took his place as the best man. The minister started, but I barely heard him, except for his last sentence. "…Mr. Northman has prepared his own vows, and I will let him speak them now."

My eyes widened, as I hadn't known that he'd done that, and he smiled at me reassuringly. "Sookie, I am not worthy of you. I am not worthy of all the love and devotion you've given me, or the happiness you've granted me. I am not worthy, but none the less you chose me, and I intend on spending the rest of my existence trying to make myself worthy of having an angel like you. Do you take me, as your husband?"

"I do." I said clearly, and looked at the minister, "I have written my own vows, and if you don't mind, I'd like to say them." He nodded for me to continue, and Eric stared at me, confused. "It took me a long time to know what to say to you, and even now I am unsure. When I first met you I thought there was no way we would ever end up together, but fate has brought us together, and I'm happy. I'm happier than I've ever been, and I must say that now, I feel like _I'm_ the one who's unworthy to have you. You've been there for me, through everything that has happened, and I hope that you will continue to stand by me as I promise to do the same for you. I'll stand by you forever, and not just my forever but yours as well. Will you take me as your wife?" His face registered his shock at my words, and I knew he understood what I was pushing at. I had made up my mind months prior that someday I wanted to be turned by him, so we could be together for more than just my short human lifetime.

A bloody tear pooled in the corner of his eye, and he choked his words out. "I do."

The minister barely finished pronouncing us man and wife before Eric's arms were around me, and his lips were on mine. Everyone in the crowd applauded, and when I saw Jason's face from the corner of my eye, I knew he was in shock.

After we stepped down from the stage, we stood as everyone came up and personally congratulated us.

An hour later, we finally stepped into the house for a moment alone, and he turned to me. "Did you mean what you said? About me turning you?"

"Yes. Maybe not right away, but someday. I want to spend as much life as I can with you." He smiled, and a bloody tear rolled down his face.

He wiped it away with a towel from the kitchen counter, and composed himself, before we returned to the crowd. Bill still hadn't approached us, and I wondered if he ever planned to. I looked over as we exited the house, and I could see him and two of his personal guards walking toward his property. Security had been in place since before the sun went down, but he still insisted with Pam on his own people being present. We were pulled away a moment later to pose together in front of a photographer that someone had hired. I stood with my brother in one picture and Pam in another, and Eric did the same. Countless photos were taken with multiple people of the crowd, and afterward Jason told me that for my wedding present he had hired the photographer and was having a book made with all the pictures for me to keep. I'd had no idea of what he'd been planning, and thanked him repeatedly.

Pam took me back inside after the photo shoot, and helped me out of my wedding dress to put on a black floor length one, with a pair of white sandals. Then we went back outside, and I started to mingle in the already buzzing crowd.

I talked to everyone I could, and Eric did the same, until a limo came pulling around the side of the house. "It's time to go." Eric whispered into my ear, and I looked at him in surprise, before nodding.

We found Jason, and I gave him a list of things to do while I was away. Pam was going to take care of most of Eric's business stuff, and Jason was going to stay at my house with Jessica to keep an eye on it.

Eric helped me into the limo after I gave Jason a kiss on the cheek, and then we were speeding away. "Where are we going? You still haven't told me." I asked, excited.

"Alright…I'll tell you. When Godric met the sun, he left me a private island, and it's a place I visited much when I was younger, about seventy miles from Hawaii. It has an old lighthouse on a cliff with an entire library inside, and a large beach house down below it. The whole place is surrounded in an exotic jungle. There's lots of wildlife there, and the waters around it are perfectly crystal clear. We can go hiking, swimming, or really just do anything we want. It's got internet and all modern stuff so you can call your brother or whoever you want. The kitchen should already be stocked, and every two days a worker comes out on a boat to clean and check up on everything on the island. Sometime while we're there, I have to fill out some Area 5 business paperwork, but it shouldn't take me long. I'd have had Pam do it, but I'm forced to do it myself." He relented, and I nodded, understanding that he had to do it. Maybe I'd spend my time in the library while he was busy.

The limo took us to a small airstrip on the edge of Shreveport, where we got onto a private jet, and took off. "Is this light tight?" I asked, and he nodded.

"When we land it will be daytime, and while I'll be in a travel coffin, were going to be in a hotel until nightfall. Then we'll take my boat out and get to the island. Pam sent us both clothes ahead to the island, so don't worry about any luggage or anything. There's going to be a man there, Mason, who will guide you through everything while I sleep. If you want to sight see during the day for a bit, then talk to him, and he'll take you wherever you want to go." He handed me a stack of travelling pamphlets, and I started to go through them. Finally I picked out a few places I wanted to go, and gave him back the ones I didn't care for.

We landed on the island after the sun had already come up, and I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. The water was the most perfect blue I'd ever seen.

I'd only just stepped off of the plane, when a man with a suitcase approached me, "Mrs. Northman, I'm Mason, I believe Eric told you about me."

"Yeah, so, where are we going?"

"Well, you can stay in the hotel until night, or I can escort you in sightseeing." I chose the later, and gave him the pamphlets for the places I wanted to go.

After making sure Eric was safe in the hotel room, we leave, and he drives me all over the island to sight see.

Night falls just as we get back to the hotel, and I rush upstairs. Eric is just getting out of his coffin when I walk in, and he pulls me into a kiss. "Did you enjoy the sights?" He asks a moment later, and I nod.

"Mason gave me a camera to use, and said he'll email the pictures to you for me. When do we go to the island?" I ask, while also hoping that my pictures turn out alright.

"Right now, if you're ready." I tell him I am, and after a short drive, we are at a dock.

He walks me down the rows of boats, and finally stops at the biggest one on the end. It's a small yacht. "Eric…this is too much. Are you sure?" I ask, and he laughs.

"I've had this thing for years, I just don't use it much. I also have a few properties on the island, and Mason handles everything for me here."

The boat ride takes several hours, and I love the feel of the wind hitting me. The large vessel goes faster than I thought possible, and the first thing I see of the island, is a beam of light. As we get closer, I see that the lighthouse is setting on the top of a cliff. A river flows down around the base of the cliff, and spills into the ocean. It looks shallow, and Eric warns me that it's dangerously shallow, fast flowing and usually cold. I make a mental note to stay away from it.

The next thing I see is a gorgeous beach house, less than twenty yards from the water, and set up on a platform with stairs leading down. The beach sands are almost completely white, and the house looks like it's all wood and glass. Behind the house, and surrounding the cliff and lighthouse is dense patches of trees and foliage, and I wonder at the animals that could be hiding there. As soon as we're off the boat, he walks me right past the house, and up an easy path to the lighthouse. The outside is made of white painted bricks, and looks perfectly aged. The light at the top spins lazily, and the area around the base of the building is lit up by tall lights on poles. He shows me the view from the cliff, and eventually we make our way back down to the house.

The outside looks nicely rustic, but when we get inside, it's all modern. Automated lights switch on as we go through it, and he shows me everything. There's a living room with a large TV and a collection of DVD's and other things around it, three master suite's with full bathrooms, and a large kitchen. The dining room is set with a chandelier, and a dining table large enough to seat twelve people. Next to our room, is a small office, and he goes into it while I get a snack from the kitchen. When I finish my meal, I go to find him in his office.


	15. Chapter 15

He looked up at me as I entered, and smiled apologetically. "I have to do that paperwork, sorry. But I've been putting it off and I can't anymore. Pam would have done this, but it has to be done by area sheriff, and the sooner I do it the sooner we can spend time together." He probably expected me to argue, but I only sighed and nodded.

"I knew you'd have to, just try to hurry. I'm going to get a shower."

I walked out to see him smile to himself, and went to the master bedroom.

When I stepped out onto the tile floor, I could hear soft music playing from his office. Peeking in, I was surprised to see Eric still working, but he was mouthing the words to himself in sync with the song.

"I'm going to go up to the lighthouse." I told him, and he simply nodded as he made progress with his paperwork. Hopefully after a few hours he would be free for the rest of the trip.

I jogged up the path quickly, and scaled the marble staircase. The light was on just like when I'd first seen it, and spun slowly around the top. I looked out over the cliff, and just enjoyed the view in the moonlight for several minutes, before descending and going inside the lighthouse. On the inside, it was completely modern with full lighting and a set of fully stocked bookshelves on every wall. Lots of soft chairs were scattered around tables with lamps and in a corner I could see a wireless internet device.

I browsed through the selection of books and found a multitude of good choices. Finally I picked one, and went to the lighted outside table to start reading.

When I saw the view out over the cliff, I decided it was beautiful and moved a chair to set just a few feet from the edge, where the light still reached from behind me. The book got off to a good start, and I was just finishing the first chapter when I heard noise behind me. Standing up, I expected to see Eric coming up the path, and instead, there was Bill.

He had on a light brown suit and a bouquet of wild flowers was in his hand. There was a strange look in his eyes, like he was extremely hungry, and almost…feral.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, throwing my book down onto the chair. "Bill, we are never getting back together, and you need to accept that. I am _married_ for god's sake! To Eric! So just move on, please." I pleaded with him, at my wits end about his behavior, and he seemed sad for a moment before smiling.

"It's okay. I forgive you for making the wrong decisions, darling. But it'll all be over soon. I found a way for us to be together…forever." He got closer, and took my hand in his. "Just like you said in your vows."

Reaching toward my heart, I called to Eric through the bond, and opened his emotions to my viewing. He was trapped, and enraged, while also slightly fearful and worried.

I heard Bill's fangs click down. "I'm going to turn you, and Eric will never be able to control you again. You'll be able to see clearly soon enough." He smiled as though I would be happy about it.

My mouth fell open, and I was speechless, but outraged. "You're deranged, crazy! Let go of me!" I demanded after a second, and ripped my fingers from his grasp. His face flashed with fury, and very quickly several things happened all at once.

He lurched forward to grab me, and I countered by jumping back away from him. I was just ready to pop to Eric when I realized that my foot hadn't met ground. Bill's face froze in shock before me, and it was the last clear thing I saw as I fell backwards down the short cliff face. I reached out, desperate for anyone to save me, but no one did. Not even Bill. I tried to pop, but my mind was too scattered, and I couldn't picture where I wanted to go. My back hits the jagged rocks first, followed by the rest of me, and blinding searing pain seems like the only thing that exists in the world for several seconds. I come back to the world, and from the bond I can only feel Eric's panic and determination. Pushing, I tried to close myself off to keep him from feeling my pain, but he forced it to stay open.

I slide down the sharp face of the river bank, rolling a few times, and jolts of pain hit me from all sides. As I go I see flashes of the river getting closer, and suddenly I'm in it. The river is shallow and rocky, and the water is flowing at a fast pace. I'm thrown around in the icy current, unable to control it when my head hits a large jagged rock embedded in the river's bottom, and I'm suddenly in a daze. No longer can I control my limbs, or fight against the water carrying me. The water warms suddenly, and I know that I've been dumped into the ocean by the river current. I feel soft sand on my legs for a minute, before I'm swept away from shore, and I can't stop it.

The water fills my lungs quickly, choking me of air, and then all I felt was numbness. I could no longer feel my arms and legs or chest…I couldn't feel anything. But oddly enough I could still see. The water in the moonlight was the most pristine and perfect blue I had ever seen. It's strange how, in what you know to be your last moments, everything is absolutely clear. I'm drifting toward the coral reef, and the vibrant colors capture my attention. I see the few fish that would come out at night as they swim about, and I picture all of the beautiful ones that would come out in the daytime. I wished Eric would be able to see them with me in the sunlight.

When he enters my mind, I quickly do the only thing I can by sending him a wave of love. But I can no longer feel the bond, and I don't know if he gets it or not, but I hope so.

Black spots start to bloom over my vision, and I can feel myself slipping away. It's the only thing I've felt for a few minutes. The few clouds that had slightly covered the moon before move, and the light is stronger on the water. It lights the bay up like the flashes from lighthouse, and then I wonder what is wrong with the lighthouse, because it's not lit. Perhaps Bill turned it off so help would have trouble finding us in the dark.

I can see a few larger fish swimming farther out, and I wonder what they are. Maybe their sharks. Maybe they'll get me before the lack of air does. But then I realize just how strongly I need to breathe.

I can't fight it as my body tries to heal itself, and I try to breathe. My feelings return as the last of my adrenaline pumps through me, and I struggle toward the surface for a moment, as one last ditch effort. But it only lasts for a few seconds, and then I am still. My vision fades as I go unconscious, and just before my world goes completely black, I think I feel someone grabbing me from behind. Then again, I could just be hallucinating.

...

I should be dead.

I know I should be dead.

If I'm not dead, then I should at least be in agony.

Everything that happened plays through my mind and I remember in perfect clarity, and I realize that I should not be okay. I shouldn't at all be thinking coherent thoughts, and I most certainly shouldn't be lying on something without even a prick of pain.

I open my eyes, and then, I'm standing. Looking down at myself, I find that I am just fine. Not even a single drop of water on my clothes, and no gouges in my back from the rocks. Eric stands across from me, but he doesn't say anything, and just smiles. We're in a pure white room with no doors, and when I try to speak, nothing comes out. He steps closer, but doesn't touch me.

I should be dead.

But I want to live. I want to keep going, and spend the rest of forever with my vampire, who just stands there and stares at me. Sitting down onto the ground, I start to cry, and realize that this must be death. "What can I do?" I say it before I even realize that I can speak.

Eric comes over, and places his hand over my heart on my chest for a second before removing it.

"What does that mean?" I question him, and he shakes his head.

"Am I dead?" I ask, and he shakes his head again.

"Am I dying?" He nods.

"Is there any way I can live?" Another nod.

"Can you help?" I watch him for any sign of a response, but there isn't one, and it confuses me. "What do I do?" I ask, and he puts his hand back on my heart, leaving it there.

"The bond can save me?" Again he nods, and I feel hope.

"How?" I question him, but he doesn't directly answer. Instead he stands up and goes over to one of the walls. He pulls a black sharpie marker from his pocket, and starts to draw a picture. After a few minutes, he steps back, and reveals it to me. It's an image of the Fae world I had disappeared to for a year.

"I have to use my fairy powers?" I ask, and he smiles, so I know I'm right. "If I use my powers, can I get back to Eric, alive?" He smiles and nods, happy that I am starting to understand.

Raising my hand, I look at it, and try to use my light on the floor. But nothing happens. I stand and try to pop across the room, but nothing happens, and I look back at Eric who's still standing by the wall with his marker. He's drawing again.

He shows me a picture of myself after a moment, and I wonder what it means, until I notice the strange marks on the picture of my face. They look almost like cuts and gashes in my skin, and then I realize what it is. "That's what Eric is seeing, isn't it?" He nods. "How do I use my fairy powers to get to him?" I ask, and just like before, he puts his hand over my heart. Then he disappears in a puff of smoke.

I'm frustrated, unsure of what to do, and set down against the wall beneath the dream Eric's pictures.

I close my eyes and calmed myself, and suddenly I feel a strange pressure on my heart. Reaching out with my mind, I find a ball of golden light surrounding my heart, and I realize what the dream Eric was trying to tell me. As though I had already known it, a knowledge filled me, making me shudder. The golden light was my inner fairy light, and was where all my known powers came from. I suddenly knew that if I went into my inner light, then I would become more fairy than human. I would with practice be able to mask my scent, and the light that I shot from my hands would become stronger. Maybe I would even be able to create things from thin air.

The possibilities for what I could become and gain were endless, but few were likely. I hoped with everything that it wouldn't change who I was inside. I wished for it to only heal me and then release me. But with my new knowledge, I knew what was going to happen next.

Using all my strength, I threw myself head first into the shining radiance.

I stood there, looking into the golden light, and suddenly I was filled with the most amazing heat.

It wasn't the type of heat that makes you feel sick, or thirsty, or uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually. It was the type of warmth that surrounded you, filled up every pore on your body, and left you wanting more. Like curling up under an electric blanket on a snowy winter day, with the love of your life beside you.

I let myself drown in the magic. I let the human blood in my veins succumb to the power of the fae. Not only that, but I pushed it to happen. I wanted this.

The radiance tingled over my skin, and the experience branded itself forever in my memory. I would never forget this, and I would never regret the decisions that had led me to this.

I looked past the light at Eric, and smiled from ear to ear. He did the same, and as I felt the light release me, I rushed forward to embrace him.

For one shining moment, everything in my life was perfect and right and I reveled in the feeling of it. But then like a dying spring flower, the moment was suddenly gone.

The next moment was when everything went to hell.


	16. Chapter 16

(Eric's POV)

I struggle against the silver bonds that I am held in, and my captives laugh. I reach for the bond, and unlike just a moment before, Sookie is suddenly scared. She's unhappy and unsure and worried and angry, and with the incredible mixture, I know that Bill must be there. The rage at that thought overwhelms me, and after a few more moments of struggling, I am suddenly free. I break their necks before they know what is happening, and them I'm running up the hill.

When I reach the top I stop, and see the tip of Sookie's sandal as she disappears over the cliff. I rush forward, but before I can leap, I am grabbed from behind. Reaching around, I grab Bill by the neck, and yank him off of me as I hold him up high. "I'll kill you at a time when it can be slow and painful." I throw him with more force than necessary, and watch him crash through several trees in the area beyond the lighthouse. I'm on the edge of the cliff in a second, and panic sets in. I don't see her anywhere on the Cliffside, and then I notice the unnatural disturbance of the water in the river. A limb emerges from the slight rapids for a second, before disappearing again. I jump from the rock edge I'm on, and fly down over the water. But I'm not fast enough and she disappears into the water.

Arms grab me again, and I roar in defiance. I throw Bill to the ground beneath me, and lay into his gut with my fists mercilessly. He moves to retaliate, and I break his arm as he tries to stop my assault. It's only taken a minute for our scuffle to conclude with me bringing my foot down on Bill's neck, and I break it enough to stop him. But not enough to kill him. I want to save that pleasure for another time.

It only takes a minute, but already I can't find her. Even for a vampire, the ocean is a large place to search for something, and it takes me only seconds to jump into the river to follow the current she was on. A strong wave of love hits me, and I try to grasp it, but am unable. I calm my mind and my eyes pierce the water as the moonlight gets suddenly brighter. All at once I can see her far ahead of me. She looks like an angel floating in the water, and I don't miss the red tint that's flowing into the liquid around my eyes as I swim. If she were on land, she'd be standing, with her hair splayed out behind her. Her eyes are glued to the coral reef nearby, and as I get closer, she drifts so her back is to the shore. A red tint similar to the one coming from me surrounds her entire body. I make sure not to take in any of the water. I couldn't bear to taste her blood in such a way.

I grab her from behind, and feel for the bond. My panic has closed it off against my will up until now, and I feel that it is almost gone. I hold onto it, forcing it to stay open as I bring us up onto the beach, and I lay her down in the soft grass at the edge of the sand.

The bond is closing, and using all my energy, I pump my strength into it. It opens slightly, and there's a strange buzz coming from the connection. I feel as though a piece of me is within her, being pulled away from my body, and I don't particularly enjoy the feeling. But I maintain it, and force it to strengthen the bond and through the bond I strengthen her. I know that if I can keep her alive long enough, then I can start to feed her my blood, and she'll be able to heal.

Thinking about our bond, I hate the fact that it is only twice complete. She had insisted on waiting until after we were married to do it a third time, and after minimal argument I had agreed. If we were fully bonded then I could truly keep her alive off of my own strength alone, and I start to berate myself for not insisting that we complete it sooner. Perhaps if I had been keener to the dangers facing us, then I would have noticed the danger as soon as it stepped on the island. Maybe if I had been a more caring husband then I wouldn't have left her vulnerable.

I stop myself as I spiral down into self-loathing. Glancing over I see that Bill is gone, but for the moment I don't care, as long as he stays away. Staring into Sookie's face, I see something. A slight shine is coming from her chest, and when I reach to touch the place over her heart, it grows brighter. I pull away only to touch again a moment later. It glows even brighter, and after pulling away again, I reach forward for a third time. The light is almost unbearable then, and it reminds me of the light Sookie had always used in a tight situation. It pulses a moment later, and starts to spread throughout her entire body. I watch it run up every vain, getting especially bright in areas such as the sides of her neck. It fills her completely, and then all at once, it vanishes back into her heart.

I hold her in my lap, and looking over her, I see that she is completely healed. Her clothes are practically shredded, but the skin underneath doesn't have a single blemish. Using one hand, I tilt her face up for me to examine, and I am not disappointed. She doesn't look at all how she had a moment before. It's more as though she had just stepped out of the shower.

As I watch, her eyes slowly open, and she smiles up at me. I return the look, and suddenly her arms are around my neck. Her lips meet mine, and the moment is more perfect than anything I've ever experienced before. I wonder how I could be so lucky, and suddenly I realize what I have done to myself. While doing so, hadn't noticed just how much energy I had put into keeping her alive. For the first time in a thousand years, I collapse backwards in exhaustion, and she follows to lay halfway on top of me. "Are you alright?" She asks concerned, and I chuckle at the irony of it. Just a moment before, I could have been the one to ask that question.

"Absolutely perfect, just tired. It's odd for me…I can't really remember the last time I was tired." She giggles, and kisses me again. I can barely respond, and she starts to stare at me in real worry. "I just…need some True Blood." I panted out, and she shook her head.

"No, that's not going to help you. Here." She leans forward, and exposes her neck, putting it right up against my mouth.

My lips twitch, and my fangs click down, but I still whisper. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes." With her reply, I bite down, and the rush of blood is like an explosion inside of me. It's like the fairy blood changed it somehow, making it more desirable. I don't know how, but suddenly I'm sitting up, with her cradled in my lap. Her head hasn't moved much, and I continue to drink. After several mouthfuls, I stop and bite my own wrist.

"Will you be mine forever?" I ask, and she doesn't hesitate to latch on. I gasp at the feeling of it, and return to my place at her neck. We drink in unison, and the bond is like nothing I've ever imagined. Everything I am melts into her, and vice versa. Our minds and bodies push together, and we see flashes from each other of all our most important memories. I watch her childhood flicker by, experience her Gran's teachings and wisdom, and feel all of the emotions that she had at the times. I see how much she hated her gift in high school, and how she continued to see it as a handicap until only recently when she had decided that she might be useful to the world after all.

Looking to her, I watched with her as my childhood as a Viking played for her in short bits, followed by my times with Godric. She witnessed from my point of view the first time I had seen her, and how much I had hated Bill for getting to her first. She also wished that I had met her sooner. Her mind reeled when she witnessed firsthand how much I had wanted her from the very first moment we'd met. At that time, I'd had no idea who she really was, and already I'd felt drawn to her.

The memories ended, and we just held onto each other as we retreated into our own physical bodies. After another few mouthfuls, I pull away from her neck, and heal the wound as she releases my arm. The marks there vanish, and I turn to kiss her, which she readily agrees to. I stand, and help her to get up, only to catch her when she sways. "Whoa…head rush." She mutters, and I chuckle.

Then suddenly I hear the sound of wind from behind me, and before I know what's happening, she's gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Light exploded from my hands, and I forced the attacker away from me. I couldn't believe how fast they'd been able to grab me, and we were already several hundred feet from Eric in just a second. "What do you want from me?" I demanded as the man tried to stand up. Eric appeared at my side, and I put a hand on his arm to stop him from charging forward.

Ten feet away, the man was on his feet, and moved to step forward. My free hand flew up, and I let the light charge up, causing him to stop. I looked him over as he did the same to me, and found that he seemed familiar. Then I realized he held a resemblance to Claude, and was about to speak when he seemed suddenly angry. "Do not fight me girl! You belong to King Brigant. I have come to take you because your blood is now strong enough. Either choose to go or you will be forced!"

"Like hell she will!" Faster than I could follow, Eric grabbed the boy by his throat with one hand and secured both of his hands with the other.

Something occurred to me, and I spoke up, hoping it would work. "Why does King Brigant own me?

"You are one of his few remaining heir's, and he requests that you return to the fae realm for training. He needs a successor. By the traces of his blood in you veins, you are his." An incredible feeling of triumph coursed through me, and I smiled.

"Eric, let him go, he can't take me. Someone else already owns me by blood." Realizing what I meant, Eric dropped him with a smile, and returned to my side to take my hand in his.

"Who has the nerve to claim what is already owned?" He demanded, and rubbed at the red mark on his neck with disgust.

"I've never been owned by anyone, and Eric is the only one who can say that now." The man, who I assumed was a fairy, stared at Eric in outrage.

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

Eric spoke up, "She is my wife, and bonded to me by blood for life. Nobody can touch her. Not even the fairy king. If he wants to speak to her, or even see her, then he needs to come speak to me first."

A look of pure fury crossed the fairy's features, before a pure white light shone from his body, and he disappeared into thin air.

I looked at Eric, who continued to stare at where the fairy had been for several seconds, before turning to face me. Bloody tears flowed from his eyes, and he pulled me to him. "I almost lost you." He whispered into my ear, and I wrapped my arms around him.

His nose went into my hair, and he inhaled deeply, before pulling back to look me in the eye.

"You smell different. The fairy part is…stronger." I chuckled at the hungry look on his eyes, and as though by instinct, I pushed a tingling sensation through my body. A moment later he seemed confused. "I can't smell you anymore, how did you do that?"

"I don't know. When I saved myself, it made the fairy blood in me stronger. Now…I think I can cover my scent. I'll probably have to do it all the time to keep vampires from attacking me." He nodded, accepting my explanation, and picked me up to hold cradled against his chest.

I looked up and away from us, and remembered something, "What happened to the lighthouse?"

He frowned, and looked up at the structure that was now dark. "That damn Bill must have broken the lamp at the top. I'll get someone out here after we leave to fix it."

"Is he still on the island?" I asked, suddenly anxious.

He listened and took a deep breathe, and finally shook his head. "No…but I hear a helicopter getting further away. I imagine that it's him leaving." With one last look toward the horizon, he takes us into the house, and a sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. I yawned loudly, and glanced toward the outside of the house. A faint light was rising from the horizon.

"It's almost dawn." I told him, and he nodded. Of course he already knew.

We walked over to a panel on the wall, and slid it open. After putting in a number code, he pushed a small blue button, and I watched as metal shutters rose up from the floor and sealed all of the windows from the inside. Lights flickered on everywhere, and suddenly we were in the bedroom.

I let him change me into comfortable clothes, as I didn't have the energy to move much, and we were both soon sound asleep.

The rest of the week went without incident, and we enjoyed ourselves as much as possible. On the last night, Eric seemed overly excited about something, and made a big show of setting up a foldable bed on the beach. We lay together, and I curled up next to him.

"What are we waiting for?" I asked, impatient, and he just shakes his head.

I'd been questioning him since he rose for the night, and he hadn't said a word about his surprise for.

Then, around midnight, the most amazing thing happened.

I watched as tendrils of bright color streaked the sky suddenly. Reds, Blues, Greens and Purples of every hue danced through the cloudless air, and I couldn't believe it. "These are the Northern Lights." He whispered into my ear, and I leaned over to give him a loving kiss. We stayed embraced for a moment, until I leaned back onto the arm he had holding me, and resumed watching the light show.

Ever since I had been little, I had heard of the Northern Lights, but I'd never seen them. Gran had told me once that she had traveled up north, when Granddaddy had still been around, and had taken my momma with her. They had went all the way to Maine, where she visited an old friend of hers there, and they had been lucky enough to see the lights. She'd said that it had looked like an artist had thrown his brushes into the sky, and let them paint the clouds to match the coral reefs of the sea. I'd wanted to see them forever after she'd told me the story, and now I understood what she meant.

The amazing sight continued to dance in front of us for several hours, until the tendrils of color retreated back the way they had come, and the show ended. I turned to him in wonder, and he stared right back. "You're amazing. How did you know I've always wanted to see that?"

He smiled smugly, and hugged me closer, "I had a _very_ long talk with your brother once, and he didn't know it, but I was pumping him for information. I wanted this to be perfect, so even though I didn't appreciate us having to move the wedding date, I was happy that this became a possibility. Those lights don't travel this far often, and when they do it's spectacular. Godric loved to see them." A hint of sadness crept into his side of the bond, and I placed my hand onto his cheek.

"I think Godric would be very proud of everything you've done, and I'm sure he's still watchin' you, even though you can't see him. Remember all the good things he did when he was still here, and don't think of him like he's gone." A blood tear ran down his cheek, and he tried to turn away, but I didn't let him. Instead I kissed him gently, and he smiled slightly.

"How did I get lucky enough to have you?" He questioned me, and I just smiled.

"Think of it like Godric's last gift. When I watched you in Dallas…it was like you were a completely different person. After Godric met the sun, you looked so broken, and I didn't know what I could do to help you. I didn't look at you the same after that. I saw you more as someone who had suffered and fought for so long that emotions truly were a thing of weakness to you, and even though I couldn't fully understand that, I accepted it. Even before I loved you, I had hoped to bring you out of your shell, and it's finally happened." Before I knew what was happening, he had pulled me to set on top of him, and leaned up to kiss me feverishly. I could feel a bulge in his pants beneath me, and grinned at the prospects of what was to come.

Later that night, I had changed into a bikini, and he chased me at a human pace to the edge of the ocean. I dove straight in, and when I emerged I couldn't see him anywhere. "Eric?" I called out, and don't get a response, so I start to swim into the deeper water. I laugh and squeal in delighted surprise a minute later when he suddenly explodes from the water and grabs me from behind. His mouth finds my throat, and his fangs graze the skin.

"Be careful, there are sharks out here. You might get bit." He breathes the words into my ear, and I giggle at his fake menacing voice. Then he's gone again.

I wait for him to emerge, but he doesn't immediately do so, and a mischievous tone enters my thoughts. When he does surface, he's in front of me, and starts to move toward me with a playful growl and his mouth wide open. So I cup my hands in front of me, and splash him with the biggest wave I can manage, drenching his open mouth in the salt water. He spits and sputters, dispelling the liquid as I swim away as fast as I can. "I'll get you for that!" He threatens halfheartedly, and goes under the water again.

Taking a deep breath, I hold it just in time for him to grab my leg and pull me under. He holds me in his arms beneath the water, and kisses me, and then we return to the surface. I regain my breathe, and he laughs, before I feel his fangs at my neck again.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, and I can feel him nod. I let my scent flow freely, and I can feel a shudder run through him. "Go ahead…feed." I urge him on, and he only hesitates for a second before biting down, and holding me closer. He keeps us both afloat as he drinks deeply for a minute, before licking the wound closed.

"You taste different somehow…just…_more_. It's like everything about you is enhanced. Godric truly must be watching over me to have let me have you." He smiles, and the seawater washes away a bloody tear from his face.

I kiss him, and he carries me back to shore.


	18. Chapter 18

**For the sake of the story, I imagine that Stan (one of the vampires in Dallas) did not die during the explosion at Godric's nest. Instead I like to think he was just injured badly, and unable to do anything the rest of the time everyone was in Dallas. Hope that's okay with everyone! :)**

When our plane slowly and gradually started to descend, I immediately knew something was wrong. The flight should have taken at least another two hours.

Scanning out with my mind, I found the pilot and co-pilot, and could hear their conversation through their heads.

"_How much are we getting paid again?" The co-pilot asked, and the pilot shushed him._

"_Not so loud. We don't want the girl to hear us…but the guy said that as soon as the job is done, then twenty thousand will be put into each of our bank accounts. He said something about that girl being able to hear really well, so don't say anything else about it."_

They went quiet, and a moment later the pilot's voice came over the intercom. "We're sorry, but we have an engine light flashing for both of our main engines, and by regulation we must land at the nearest airport. We'll get you on your way as quickly and efficiently as possible, and once again we're sorry for the inconvenience."

I felt a buzzing from our bond as Eric woke up, and immediately opened my emotions to him. Glancing out the window, I could see that we probably had another hour until dark, and he wouldn't be able to come out until then. He read my emotions, and sent me reassurance and love, which I happily accepted. I looked around, and noticed that the only flight attendant had disappeared, and then I felt something new from Eric a moment later.

He was angry, and it only took a second before I heard a roar of rage come up from below the passenger area of the plane, followed by a scream which cut off abruptly.

The door to the pilot's cabin opened up a few minutes later, and the co-pilot came out, giving me a strange look. "What was that?"

I shook my head as though I hadn't heard anything. "I don't know what you mean, but have you seen the flight attendant? She said she'd be going down into the belly of the plane, and hasn't come back." His eyes widened, and he looked worried. When I glanced into his thoughts, I could see that the stewardess was in fact his girlfriend, and in on the scheme.

"I'll go check it out." I did a mental cheer of victory as he took my bait, and walked to the access hatch in the employee only area at the back of the plane. Once he went down, I stood quickly, and ran back to where he had disappeared. What sounded like a thud reached my ears, and I opened the hatch, going down the ladder.

A pair of strong arms grabbed me from behind, and Eric pulled me against his chest. "Are you alright?" We asked each other at the exact same time, and I turned around to face him, giving him a kiss.

"I listened to the pilots, and they were talking about how someone is paying them to land us somewhere other than where we want to go." He thought for a moment, and I could feel his calculating thoughts through the link.

While he thought, I looked over to where his travel coffin lay, and could see that both the humans were slumped to the ground next to it. They didn't look hurt, and I guessed they were only knocked out. Or at least I hoped that was all that was wrong with them.

"Alright, this is what I want you to do." He said, and started to explain himself to me.

I walked toward the cockpit of the plane, closing all the window shutters as I went. They were light tight, and the passenger cabin would have been completely dark if not for the lights in the ceiling. When I knocked, I spoke at the same time.

"This is Sookie Stackhouse, can I come in? I'm worried about the flight attendant, and the co-pilot. They both went downstairs, and I heard a lot of loud thumping noises for a long time. Now it's quiet. Is everything okay?" I played it off as though I was the stupid blond southern bell that everyone always assumed I was, and listened to him. _Damn it, if he jeopardizes this job by joining the mile high club, I'll kill him. _

"One minute." When he opened the door, I stepped in, and could see that the sky outside was almost completely dark. Perfect. "Now what did you say you heard?"

"Well, first the flight attendant went to the back of the plane after telling me she needed to check something in the cargo hold. Then the co-pilot went to follow her a little bit later. There was a bunch of thumping noises for a while, and then it sped up and I heard someone say someone else's name kinda loud, and they've been quiet for a few minutes now. Do you think they are okay?" I asked, with a stupidly concerned look on my face.

_This poor girl is dumber than a box of rocks, no wonder she follows that vampire everywhere. He's probably got her so glamoured that she doesn't even remember her own birthday. _"Don't worry." He said in a slow voice, making sure I understood him. "I'm sure they're just…playing a game."

"Oh! Ok. Maybe they want someone else to play with them, should I go see?" I asked him with a smile.

"No!" He rushed to say, "I'm sure the game is almost over, so it wouldn't be very fun. Just sit there and don't touch anything, and we'll wait for them to get back." He directed me to a seat behind his, and I sat there quietly as he maneuvered the plane. When the sun was fully down, and the sky was black, I stood and the pilot looked at me.

"Can I go use the restroom?" I asked, and he nodded.

As soon as I closed the cockpit door behind me, I ran back to the hatch for the cargo hold, and opened it. Eric came up, and the co-pilot climbed the short ladder behind him. "He's glamoured." Eric whispered, and I followed the two men to the front of the plane. "Now get the door open." The co-pilot nodded, and knocked a special pattern on the door.

"It's about time!" I could hear the pilot inside. _I hope he had his fill of that bullshit, because I'm not letting him leave his chair until we land. I can't believe he would do that at a time like this…the idiot. We need to land this thing before the vamp wakes up or we're all dead. _The door opened, and Eric immediately moved inside, taking the pilot under his control.

"Put the plane on auto-pilot." The pilot flipped several switches, and then sat still, waiting for another command. "Now, who is paying you to land the plane early?"

"I don't know." His voice was even and calm, and I was glad for Eric's skills.

"How did he get ahold of you? Explain the plan." Eric pressed, and I waited anxiously.

"He called me, and wouldn't tell me his name. He said all I had to do was fake an engine light and land at an airport of his choice. After we landed, you two would be taken from the plane, and we would leave and take the plane to Louisiana as though nothing had happened. Within a week, my co-pilot and I would find twenty thousand dollars in each of our bank accounts." He stopped talking, and Eric thought for a moment.

"Where is the airport that you're supposed to land?"

"It's not an airport at all. After I agreed he told me that I was to land the plane at an abandoned air strip just twenty miles north of Flagstaff Arizona." I could almost see the light bulb that flicked on in Eric's head, and he smiled.

"No he didn't. Don't you remember? He told you to take us to the privately owned airstrip ten miles west of Dallas, Texas. Now do your job, both of you." They took they seats, and Eric released their minds just as he shut the cockpit door behind us.

"Why are we going to Dallas again?" I asked, not liking the idea. Everything hadn't turned out very well the last time we had been there, and Godric had met the sun.

"An old friend of mine, who was also one of Godric's followers, has taken up the roll as sheriff of that area. He will help us. We can't go straight back to Louisiana yet, not until we figure all this out." I nodded, and felt the plane as it started to regain altitude. About an hour later I could feel the plane lowering again, and Eric lifted a shutter from the window to check where we were. He nodded, and I knew we were in the right place.

When we landed, Eric turned on his phone, and started typing furiously. Then he dialed a number and called. "Marcus, I need your help. Are you available? Good…I'm at the airstrip that Godric owned ten miles out, can you come get us? Yes _us_, I have my wife with me. No I'm not sure yet." The person who I assumed was Marcus said something else, and Eric just nodded before hanging up.

As we got off the plane, we retrieved out luggage from a cart where a worker had put it, and watched as the plane moved to take off again. We only waited for a few minutes before a black SUV with all black windows pulled up to us just inside the hanger. "Are you Northman?" A man rolled down the window slightly and asked.

Eric nodded, and the back door on the SUV opened smoothly. He put our luggage in the very back, and we got into the back seat. The driver didn't say a single word, and started driving. It didn't take long before we started pulling down a road I recognized, and up to the newly rebuilt Sheriff's house. Everything about it was almost the exact same as the old one, but I could tell that there had been more added in the back. When we walked inside, there were several vampires lounging around, as well as a couple of humans, and all the vampire eyes were instantly trained on me.

A silent rumble vibrated out of Eric's chest, and I realized that I had forgotten to mask my scent. But it was already too late, so I just let it go. Eric's arm came possessively across my shoulders, and led me to a room in the back.

It's a large spacious office, and when we walk in, I can tell that there is someone spun around from our view in a large leather chair. I hear him speaking as though he is finishing a phone call. "I'll have to get back to you on that, I'll call tomorrow night just after sunset." The voice strikes me as familiar, and I hope that my suspicions are wrong.

But when the chair turns, I sigh as my feeble hopes are dashed. There sits Stan, and I remember him from when Godric was missing. He had charged into the Fellowship of the Sun church with about a dozen blood thirsty vampires, all ready to slaughter every human there. They almost had, and would have if Godric wouldn't have stepped in.

A chill creeps over me as he stares at me for a long moment, and then he gives a sly smile and looks at Eric. "So, what can I do for you on this _fine_ fine night?"

I can already feel a slight irritation coming from the bond, and wonder if Stan realizes that he shouldn't be pushing him. "We were flying home, when we discovered that our plane's pilots had been paid by an unknown source to take us somewhere else, where we did not want to go. I ask for shelter and protection here in your home until I can uncover the threat to me and mine, and neutralize it."

We fell into silence, while Stan put his hands together and fell into thought and seemed to contemplate his request. He looked at me a minute later, and turned back to Eric quickly. "Alright, but this will not be free. I will expect compensation at some point."

Eric grinned, "As long as it's nothing too unreasonable, then that would be fine. Where will we be staying?" He asked, and Stan summoned a girl into the room with the push of a button.

"Make up the guest suite on the upper level, the one in the back with the balcony, and at some point before sunrise escort them there." The girl nodded, and left without having ever said a word. He returned his attention to us, "You have full access to the house and feeding areas. There is an underground hallway that leads to the donor's house next door, and you're free to browse our selection at any time. The grounds are open to you, as is the wait staff. I'll let you know when I want in return for your stay." With his last sentence, I could tell that we were being dismissed, and Eric turned us around to leave.

When we got to the front room, most of the vampires from before were gone, and different ones had appeared. "I'm hungry, is there somewhere I could get something to eat?" I asked Eric, and he called over a young woman who was in a uniform that marked her as one of Stan's personal assistants. .

"Escort her to the kitchens, and have something made for her to eat." He instructed the woman, and she nodded happily.

"If you'll follow me miss?" I smiled back at her and Eric gave me a quick kiss before I moved to follow the woman. She led me to a back room, where a dining area was set up, with a large table and lots of chairs. "What would you like to eat?" The girl asked, and I noted that she looked like she was only nineteen or twenty.

"Whatever you have will be fine." I said, and sat down at the table, but the girl smiled kindly again.

"Sheriff Baker doesn't often have human guests, who are _really_ cared for by their vampires, but he still employs a full staff of cooks. Really they just sit around most of the time, but it's their job. So you can order anything you want and it won't be a real problem at all." I thought for a minute, before asking for grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, and she ran off to get it made for me.

It surprisingly only took about ten minutes for my food to come out, and it was the best chicken I had ever had. The girl sat with me as I started to eat, and just looked around the room contentedly.

"How did you get to be working here?" I asked and she smiled.

"Well, I only work here part time at night. The Sheriff and the other vampires are kind to me, and pay me very well. I am using the money to go to college during the day." I lowered my shields, and listened to her. In her head I could see a replay of how she had explained her situation and need for money to Stan during a job interview, and how only after listening her, did he suddenly offer more flexible hours and a much greater pay. She had happily accepted, and started working immediately.

After watching the scenes play out in her head, I was surprised that the Stan I had seen being so ruthless before, could be so nice to a girl in need. But he had in fact done it, and I could tell it wasn't just a glamour or illusion. Her thought and feeling from all the memories were authentic, and suddenly I started to wonder just what kind of person Stan really was. "Wow, I always thought that he was kind of harsh on everyone around him."

"H-he is…he's unforgiving and vicious to anyone that doesn't do as he says in his area." She hurriedly responded, and I looked to see that her thoughts said otherwise. Not long after she had just started, Stan had asked her out on a date when nobody else was around, and she had agreed. He'd rented out the entirety of the nicest restaurant in town and taken her there, letting her have anything she had wanted. When they were alone together he was the kindest and sweetest of vampires, and she already loved him.

I finished my meal without asking anything else, and she took me back to the main room just in time to catch Eric between conversations with other vampires. He took me back into his arms, and held me as he said. "How was the food?" His tone of voice showed that he was actually interested, and I smiled.

"Never had better." It made him happy to hear that I had been given what he called 'appropriate sustenance', which in his mind didn't include any meal under a hundred dollars, and a chef who hadn't been to gourmet cooking schools all over the world. One time I had asked for a cheeseburger from a McDonalds and after he showed me the research he had done on where their meats and such came from, I vowed to never go there again. He didn't mind sitting with me while I ate, and had often taken me to several very expensive restaurants in Shreveport. I couldn't help but remember how Bill had always insisted that I eat before he came around, because he couldn't stand the smell of human food.

We mingled with other vampires and humans for several hours. Then as the night pushed toward dawn, the number of people around started to dwindle as people either left the nest, or went to their rooms within it.

About an hour before dawn, the first woman we had seen Stan command reappeared, and guided us to a room on the second floor. We got inside, and I was speechless. The suite was huge, with two large separate rooms, and an extra-large master bathroom and an empty walk-in closet. A set of solid double doors were positioned in the bedroom, and led out to a cute small balcony. The other room had a large flat screen TV on the wall, and several couches and chairs all scattered around as well as a minibar stocked with different snack foods and a room service menu. Everything was modern, colored in blacks, reds and greys, and there were large floor length windows with metal shutters on that would slide in place during the day. He picked me up as soon as we were inside, and carried me into the bedroom.

I got up before he could follow me onto the bed mattress where he placed me, and went to the closet to find all my luggage right where Eric had promised it would be. Closing the door behind me, I made him wait as I slipped into one of the naughtier pieces of lingerie that I hadn't had the chance to use during the honeymoon. A ruffled red and black skimpy corset with matching black fishnet stockings. When I stepped out of the closet, he was lying on the bed perfectly still with closed eyes and a peaceful expression. Before he could look up, I crawled up, and straddled him.

My hands rubbed his chest through his shirt, and he opened his eyes to look at me when I became more persistent and started to grind against the small bulge growing in his pants. As his eyes met mine, and they scanned down my body, a sudden fierce and powerful hunger becomes apparent in the bond and in his eyes. His hands caress my legs as I loom over him slightly, and his growl is low as he whispers to me. "Vixen." He mumbles, and kisses me with all the passion and heat that he ever has, before flipping me onto my back beneath him.


	19. Chapter 19

I wake gently to the feeling of someone stroking my hair, and when I roll over, I am face to face with Eric. He smiles, and pulls me closer against him. Looking down at the foot of the bed, I see the tattered remains of what had once been a lacy red and black corset, and laugh. "What a shame, I know you liked that one on me." I commented, and he followed my line of sight with a chuckle.

"I most certainly did…but I especially liked when you had it _off._" He trailed a hand down my side, and something popped into my mind.

"What time is it? Shouldn't you be asleep for the day by now?" He laughs at my for a second, before putting up a straight face.

"Darling, you slept through the entire day with me. It's almost nightfall again." My eyes bug out, and I can't believe that I have slept for so long. We lay here for a long time, just holding each other, until I remember what I had learned the previous night in the kitchen.

"Do you remember the woman that you had show me to the kitchen and take care of getting me something to eat?" He nods, and waits for me to continue. "Well I got into her head, and her and Stan are dating now. He seems to care a lot for her." Eric doesn't say anything, and I can feel him pondering over this new piece of information. "In her thoughts I could see that he hasn't even slept with her yet, and I could tell she has never been glamoured."

"Well, given Stan's track record of brutality to anyone and everyone, I'm surprised that he would start going with a human. Perhaps he found someone who will calm him down after all his years of hatefulness towards humans. I know that in the early years, it's easy to be cruel, and that fades for most vampires but it has never seemed to fade for him." He stewed in his thoughts for a few more minutes, before pushing them aside, and coming closer to kiss me.

When we went downstairs for the evening, I was surprised to see only a few vampires around, and only a single human. Stan had given Eric a spare room to use as an office, and I accompanied him as he took his laptop there to get started. He worked while I read a book for over an hour, when a knock came at the door, and Stan walked in.

"Good evening Mr. Northman, I wanted to speak to you on a business matter. Could we do this in private?" Obviously he didn't want me in the room while they spoke, but Eric shook his head.

"She is alright to stay. You can say anything you want without worry." He nodded and looked at me again before speaking.

"I have decided what I would like to do in return for my assistance. If it is not a problem, then I would like for your telepath to read all of the human staff here, as well as the companions of the multiple vampires who reside here." Eric nodded, and looked at me. I just shrugged, and sent him acceptance in the bond.

"That would be fine. If you would arrange for the use of one of your spare rooms to do interviews, then she would be happy to do so for you." Stan looked at me for conformation and I nodded my consent. He smiled, and stood to leave.

"I'll have everything prepared soon." He left without another word, and two hours later, he returned to tell us that he was ready for me.

"You can stay here if you want to; I'll just be reading people." I told Eric, and he frowned.

"Are you sure?" He asked, and I reassured him with a smile.

"This is something that I'm good at; I think I'll be okay." A smile lit up his face, and he just nodded as I followed Stan out of the office and down the hall to a door that was marked as a conference room. When I went inside, he had me sit on the other side of a desk, where a stack of papers with names was already waiting. Each name was in big bold letters, and had space between them for me to make notes. He gave me a pen, and a clipboard.

"Just put a check next to anyone that is okay, and an 'x' next to anyone that means us harm." Stepping behind me, he tapped on the mirror glass wall, and brought it to my attention. "I'll be back here the whole time listening, so ask any questions that will give you what we want to know. I should be able to read what you write from my angle. There is a list of suggested questions on the last page. If you feel like you're in danger, lean far back in your chair, and stall whoever it is."

"Alright, just send them in one at a time, and I'll send them out when I'm done." He left, and I studied the questions provided until the first human came in, and sat down across from me.

"What is this?" He asked slightly nervous, and stared at me. I let my shields fully down, and delved into his thoughts while started with a lie.

"Just an employee evaluation… we want to see how your adjusting to working with vampires, and if you have any concerns. Do you have any more questions?" He shook his head, and I started. "How has working here effected the schedule of your life?"

"Well, I worked in bars for a long time, so I'm used to the late nights, and they pay well here. Some of the vampires are rude to me, and I know they don't see me as an equal, but I'm okay with that." _Maybe I'm being considered for a promotion or a raise, I hope so. My V habit is expensive, but I can't go without it. I need the stuff. _

I immediately put an x next to his name. As I let his thoughts keep going, I found that he wanted to quit, and wasn't a drainer himself. Writing down the name of the dealer that popped into his head, I pressed further. "Have you ever attended a meeting for the Fellowship of the sun?"

"No way." He answered quickly, "Those people are crazy." _That Reverend Newlin guy is nuts to think that he can fight vampires. Besides, I like vampires; I wouldn't be working here if I didn't._

I asked him a few more unsubstantial questions before sending him out, and another came in right after him. The six people after him were honest workers, but when I got to the next one after them, it turned out to be the girl that Stan was dating. Her name was Crista Hartbrook with her age listed as 21, and when she sat down, I gave her a friendly smile.

"Hi, nice to see you again." She greeted me. "What's this all about?" _I wonder if someone is in trouble. _

"The Sheriff just wants to do employee evaluations to make sure that everyone who works here is ok with what they're doing." She nodded, and I moved on to the first question that I decided to ask her. "Has this job effected your personal life in any negative ways?"

_Oh no, I hope nobody found out about me and Stan. I know he worries that someone might try to use me against him if it got out that we're together._ "Not really. My family doesn't have any problem with vampires, and they know I'm able to pay for my own schooling with the money. So their jus happy that I'm making my own way in the world." _Caleb wasn't very happy when he first found out that I had decided to work for 'fangers' as he calls them, but he knows it's what's best for me unless I want to work half naked in a bar 'uniform'._ I got a flash of the uniform she had worn at her last bar job, which included an extremely showing low cut shirt and a mini-skirt that hid almost nothing. She'd only worked there for a few weeks until she got tired of drunken and rowdy men grabbing at her, and when one tried to rape her in the parking lot after her shift, she quit.

"That's good to hear. Have you had any problem adjusting to the late hours?" Her schedule flashed through her head briefly, and I could see that she was well settled.

"I do a lot of it online, and the classes that I do have on campus are in the evening when the sun is still up, so I don't have any trouble keeping things managed. Actually I prefer being able to sleep in in the mornings." She said, and I laughed lightly.

"Yea, I enjoy that about my job as well at home." After finding out some more about her background and what she hoped to do with the future, I let her leave and a young man came in next. His name was Brence.

He looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where from. But as soon as he sat down, his mind was flying with anxiety. _Oh Jesus H Christ, I hope she doesn't recognize me. This is that fangbanger whore that was in the church when Mr. Newlin was going to fry that 2000 year old vampire. Oh God if she knows who I am then I'm dead…I can't let them kill me. Not before I get deep enough to plant the bomb. I've only worked here for a few months, how could they suspect something already? _"Hi, I'm just going to ask you a few questions about how you're adjusting to this job. It's nothing to be worried about, just an evaluation." I tried to calm him down, before he decided to do anything dangerous. Then the face of a dying vampire flashed through his mind so fast that I almost didn't catch it, and decided to dig for information.

After glancing around nervously, he nodded his head sharply, and tried to smile but failed. "Have you had any problems with any of the guests or residents here?"

Brence shook his head, and I waited for a verbal answer. _Oh hell, I thought they had stopped looking for that bloodsucker we killed two months ago. _I watched the scene play through his head as he and several others had caught a vampire in one of the alleys nearby close to dawn, and put a silver net over him. Then they had staked him, and left the remains to burn away in the sunlight. The vampire had been the child of one of Stan's closest allies, who had then left on a vacation right after he felt his child meet the true death. "No I get along fine with all the vampires and people around here, they're really nice most of the time." His voice shook as he spoke, giving away his lie, but I smiled as though I had accepted it.

"How long have you lived in this area?" I asked, hoping to figure out how he had gotten started with the fellowship.

"All my life…my parents owned a grocery store on the edge of town for a long time." His mind gave me a completely different story. When he was young, he had an older sister who was attacked by a vampire on her way home from a friend's house one night. It was before the great revelation and when she tried to tell the hospital what she'd seen, they put her in a mental hospital. He managed to get her out of it after the vampires announced themselves to the world, but the damage had already been done.

The hate he held for all vampires was overwhelming, and his temper was starting to turn as I continued to question him.

After several more inquiries, he got frustrated, and stood up suddenly. "Who are you? Why are you asking me all these questions?" He demanded, and I learned all the way back in my chair, hoping that Stan was still around. His temper shot through the roof. _I can't have her telling them who I am. I can't. I have to get revenge._ I pulled on the bond for Eric's help as Brence took the first step to get around the table.

Just as he reached to grab me, the door burst open, and he was suddenly being held up into the air by his throat by Stan.

Eric came in less than a second later, and they escorted the man out together. Then Eric came back in, and I assumed that Stan had returned to the room behind the one-way glass. "What happened?" He asked me, and I handed him my notes.

"He's here working for the fellowship to try and get rid of all the vampires. A few of his friends and he ambushed a vampire a couple of months back in a nearby alley, and staked him just before dawn. When I started to ask him questions, he panicked, and all he could do was think about revenge for his sister, who was attacked by a vamp back before the great revelation. He thought something about planting a bomb here in the new Sheriff's house, and that's what he had planned to do once he got access to the lower levels where all the most important vampires sleep for the day." Eric sent a few text messages, before returning his attention to me.

"Do you want to keep going with the humans?" He asked, and I nodded, ready to finish the job.

After he left, I had a minute before the next human came in, and I started questioning again.

The rest of the people were normal, with no criminal activities against the vampires, and nothing that Stan would have to worry about. He was pleased when I gave him my findings in his office, with Eric standing beside me.

"This is some of the greatest intel I could ever get on my staff, and I see why Eric covets you so much." He turned to Eric, "How much?"

"Excuse me?" Eric asked, when he didn't elaborate on what he meant.

"How much do you want for her? I'd be willing to pay millions." He eyed me possessively, and Eric growled, putting an arm around me.

"Sookie is not for sale. She is my wife and my bonded, and I would never accept any form of compensation for her life." His body went rigid as he stood tall and firm, unwilling to move on the subject.

"Bonded? Well…aren't you lucky, to have procured a telepath in such a way." Stan continued to stare at me for a moment, before sighing. "Then how about a deal? I would like to employ her to come back every six months, and read my staff."

Eric was about to answer, but I shook my head. "No. I am only committed to one vampire, and that's all I want. I'm not going to be rented out like a machine to every vampire who asks." Stan raised an eyebrow at my outburst, and Eric's grip tightened on me slightly, warning me to be careful with what I said.

"Human, I will take your services by force if I have to. Do not force my hand." Stan threatened, and I smiled, ready to pull my trump card.

"You might be all high and mighty, with all the power of a Sheriff in Texas, but what about Crista? She wouldn't be able to do a thing if I asked a friend of mine to come and…_visit_ her." Through the bond, I could feel Eric's shock at my full on threat, and I stepped forward away from his protective grasp. My emotions were running on high, and I wasn't going to be stopped. Stan thought I was just some pet to be bought and sold at any time, and he was wrong. "Not you or anyone else will ever _own_ me, whether you like it or not, so give it up."

Stan stood, and leaned forward to put his hands on his desk. "Listen to me, little girl. You are nothing. I could snap your neck and you wouldn't be able to stop me, no matter how tough you think you are."

"Oh really?" I asked, and raised my left hand. It started to glow, and I could feel the power surging from my stronger fairy blood. It occurred to me in the back of my mind that the strength of my sparks was probably stronger, and I wondered if I could actually kill a vampire with my hands alone now.

"What are you?" Stan questioned, suddenly wary, and Eric grabbed my hand before I could shoot.

I looked at him, and nodded, letting my power return to its dormant place inside my body. "I'm someone who won't be controlled." I spat at Stan, and turned to walk out. Eric followed me to our room, and as soon as we were inside, he started.

"What were you thinking back there? Now he's knows your something other than human, and I can't fix that. He could kill you, Sookie." Feeling the bond, I could tell he was slightly angry, and frustrated. But under both of those ran a streak of pride from watching me stand up for myself.

"No he can't. I'm stronger now Eric, and if you think I'm going to stand around while other vampires insult me, then you better stop now. I will not sit around like a _pet_ for other vampires to stare at and appreciate as a good view. Nobody is going to act like they are better than me, and it's time that they know that. I'll defend myself when I have to, and I won't show mercy to anyone that tries to hurt me." A large array and mixture of emotions swirled through him, until he finally settled on acceptance and pride.

He pulled me into his arms, and leaned down to whisper into my ear, "You would make a deadly vampire." I chuckle, and so does he, until finally turn to look him in the eye and speak.

"But more than anything right now, I just want to go home. Can we do that? Because you know just as well as I do that no one will ever drive us apart." He nodded, and left me in the room while he went downstairs to speak with Stan about transportation. By the time he got back, I had all of our stuff packed, and was ready to go.

"We're leaving in an hour. He's having a car brought around for us, and then we are free to go. You paid our debt for staying here, so there's nothing left for us to do here." I followed him as he took our luggage to the bottom floor, and set it by the front door. A car pulled up for us a while later, and when we got in, Stan was there to say farewell.

"It was a pleasure to have you both here, feel free to return any time." I smiled politely, but knew that if I had any say in it, then I wouldn't be doing so any time soon.

The driver loaded our suitcases, and we got in the back seat as he started down the road. We would be home in just a few hours.

I fell asleep after only half an hour of driving, after listening to Eric complain about his phone dying. Mine was in my suitcase in the trunk, since I didn't think I'd need it.

When we arrived at Fangtasia, and felt a sheer panic coming from Eric. I woke up fully, and looked out the window, only to fall into shocked silence.

The pride of Eric's area for a long time had been his bar, and now I stood outside the car by his side, and watched as it was engulfed in flames.


	20. Chapter 20

"Eric…" I said quietly, and he turned away from the flames to pull me into his arms.

In front of us, Fantasia was an inferno, and we could hear sirens approaching fast. Two large fire trucks pulled in and came to a halt as men jumped off of the sides and out of the cab. They got hooked up to the fire hydrants as fast as possible, and started to pour water onto the building. We could hear the glass liquor bottles inside, each of them finally becoming too hot and exploding out. The entire building creaked as we watched part of the roof cave in, and we heard more sounds of broken glass as the flames continued to rage.

My heart broke at the sight in front of us, and something suddenly occurred to me. "Where's Pam?"

"She'll be here soon." He said after a moment, and I knew that he had only just called her to him.

We waited for several more minutes, when Pam suddenly appeared next to us. "Are you okay?" She asked Eric quickly with a slight edge to her voice, and he nodded.

"We were not inside. But someone knew we were coming. This fire hadn't been going for too long before we arrived." I could feel his thoughts calculating, and he put on a neutral business face, "Start setting up construction crews, and a design team. I want this place rebuilt as fast as possible." He looked her straight in the eye, "I'm putting you in charge of this…don't disappoint me."

"Never." She promised, and pulled out her phone to start planning.

"Get ahold of Nick and Nathan, I want them both in Bon Temps before we get there." She nodded, and he took me back to the car. We got to my house in silence, and once the luggage was in the house, the driver left with the car. I walked up the porch behind Eric, and jumped in surprise when I glanced behind me to see a male lion standing there. Nick and Nathan had been around since Eric had first hired them, even on their days off, but I had never seen them in their animal forms. He gave me an odd grin, and then turned and trotted off toward the woods. I noticed a pair of eyes that I assumed was a second lion staring at me from within the tree line.

When I get inside, Eric is already upstairs, unpacking my suit case for me. "I wish you would let me hire someone to do housework for you." Eric tells me as I step into the bedroom.

"No way, I like doing my own housework. It helps me keep the house the way I want it." I tell him, and grab his hand, making him sit with me on the bed. "Are you sure you're okay? I know Fangtasia meant a lot to you."

"It was just a building. Nothing that can't be replaced." He kisses me lightly, and I return the gesture.

"No it wasn't. You used to always spend as much time as you could there, and it's where you did most of your Sheriff stuff. I know you can't be okay with someone destroying it like that. Talk to me." I can feel his hurt from watching the bar burn, but underneath it is a strong streak of determination, and anger.

He's quiet for a long time, before finally sighing and speaking quietly. "When the bar is rebuilt…I'm going to give it over to Pam. She has more interest in the place than I do, and once she has everything running smoothly, I'm going to give up my position as Sheriff with her as my suggested replacement." He looks me in the eye, and smiles. "I want to take you places. I want to show you the lands of my birth, and travel and introduce you to so many new things. Would you want to do this with me?"

I'm speechless for a minute, before nodding slowly, "I would love to see the world with you, but what about everything here? You can't just pick up and leave Pam all alone, she still needs you around. She won't admit it, but she loves you and she wants you to stay around, and how can you be sure she wants to be Sheriff?" I ask, and he chuckles.

"You know, sometimes I forget how much you care for others. Pam hasn't always been the nicest to you, and here you are worrying about her like she's your child. But she will be alright. I have asked her in the past about becoming Sheriff, and she promises that she wouldn't mind. She's old enough to handle it, and I know she would do well. For all the grief I give her, I am quite proud of how she's come into the world. I see her living to be just as old as I am now, if not much older." He stands up, and moves to the window.

I join him and see one of the lions stalking around just inside the brush, and he puts an arm around me. "I'll make you safe again, I promise." He says suddenly, and I look up at him.

"I don't need to be safe…I just need to be with you. That's all it takes for me to feel safe." I lean against him, and he holds me to his side.

"I know that, but something has to be done." A touch of anger reaches me through the bond. "The vampire world needs to be shown that you are mine and that I will never give you up without a fight. Somehow…I need to make it obvious to all those who would attack us that they cannot win." His voice is fierce, and I smile at the protective feelings coming from him. He bends slightly, and kisses the top of my head. "When I find out who burned my bar, and tried to have our plane diverted, they will answer for themselves. These threats can't be ignored any longer, and I won't tolerate someone trying to harm me and mine." He's working himself up, and I can tell that he's close to full anger, so I put a reach up and place my hand on his cheek.

"Stop." I tell him, and he raises an eyebrow at what I could mean. "Stop trying to put this all on yourself. I am not defenseless with my fae powers, and we are a team. If we're going to be left alone by the vampire community, then we need to show ourselves as a united front. We'll get through this together, and then you can whisk me away to anywhere on the planet you want. I'll even let you buy me a shiny new car." I smile and he shakes with a slight laughter.

"You're going to regret that. I'll have you driving the most expensive car in the country." I smile, and smack his arm playfully.

"I don't doubt it." I say, and smile out toward the yard, before pulling his head down and kissing him with strong determination. "No one will take you away from me. Never." I tell him, and he nods.

The next night, when we arrive at the bar, I just wanted to cry. An inspector was waiting for us to arrive, and handed Eric a stack of papers. "The building is not salvageable, but if you want to try and retrieve anything, then go ahead. At this time we are ruling this as arson, and are attempting to put together suspects, but we're not having any luck. It's stable to walk in, just be careful of the debris on the floor. Personally I doubt anything short of stone survived, but maybe you'll get lucky." After Eric signed off on a few forms, and handed them back to the man, he left. We walked through the charred remains of the main door frame, and looked around the room. Everything from the floor to ceiling is black, and the smell of smoke still hangs in the air. I look up at where his throne once sat, and see that nothing is left of it. Glass shards are scattered everywhere, and I see that the highest concentration of glass is behind the bar. Only black pieces remain of the tables and chairs and the booths that lined the walls are not much better off. At least their metal frames are still standing.

We check his office, and find similar conditions as in the bar, with everything burnt to ash and char. The basement door is still intact, but we have to force it to creak open. I'm thankful that the stairs going down are stone, and we walk down with Eric keeping a close eye on the ceiling.

The metal hatch in the corner is slightly warped from the heat that had been reaching it, and Eric has to force it to open. We drop down into the hallway, and I am relieved to see that it is untouched. Our room at the end of the hall is still in pristine condition, and he assumes that Pam's is alright as well.

By the time we get back outside, Pam is there talking to a contractor, and Eric joins in the conversation.

He's explaining to them the first steps in removing the remains of the old building, while I look around the street. I'm not sure why, but something is bothering me, pushing at my mind. Then I realize that it's the sensation I get when a vampire is trying to glamour me. My eyes flit around the street, and I push out from my shields, searching for the void. Finally I find it, and my gaze falls to an alley just down the street a little ways. A dark figure is standing partially hidden behind one of the walls, and when I see him, he takes a step back out of my view. But his void doesn't disappear, so I know he is still there.

I pull on the bond, and Eric is next to me in an instant, grabbing my hand. "What's the matter?" He leans closer and whispers, with worry written all over his face.

"In that alley over there, there's a vampire trying to glamour me." I talk as quietly as possible, and Eric calls Pam over, quickly telling her to go to the back of the alley to cut anyone off from running. She disappears in less than second, and he waits a moment before moving to enter the front of the alley.

I watch as Eric wrestles with someone for a moment, and then suddenly he is jumping up onto the buildings top, and is gone.

Eric returns to me a moment later, and takes my hand. "He got away, but Pam is tracking him, she'll be able to handle herself. Let's get you home." He moves to walk toward the car, but instead of letting him go, I grab his hand and focus. Through the bond I can feel his confusion, so I send him reassurance.

I think of my house, in all of its recently refurbished glory, and with a loud **pop** we are suddenly there in the driveway. Letting go of my hand, he bends over slightly, and puts his hands on his knees. "Well…that was exciting." With a chuckle, I touch the bond, and know that he is mind is spinning from the sudden movement.

"You'll get used to it." I promise, and take his hand as we walk up toward the front door. When we are almost to the porch, I hear a loud growl and a small roar, and a lion comes bounding around the side of the house. But as soon as he sees who it is, he goes quiet, and comes closer taking large breaths. He sniffs at us, as though he's not sure if we're real or not, and I step off down the porch. Hesitantly, I reach forward, and put my hand on his head. The other lion that I know is around comes out of the tree line, and I can feel his mind getting closer.

Reaching past my shields, I touch on their animal minds for the first time, and quickly identify the lion I'm petting as Nathan. Nick steps up beside him, and I laugh lightly, "I can still hear you two." I pull my mind away from theirs after a second, and let them have their privacy back as I compare them. Nathan is slightly larger, but Nick is more heavily muscled and has a slightly darker color fur. Looking closer I can see that Nick's eyes are a lighter color green than Nathans, as well as he has softer features. When I go back up to Eric on the porch, I feel him wondering at my mischievous mindset, and I make him understand by giving him a kiss and muttering to him loud enough for the lions to hear. "Nick is definitely a cuter lion, with prettier eyes." I say, and hear the loud purring noise coming from the lion in question. Nathan looks at his brother, and growls slightly, then nips his tail and they go back into the trees. Eric laughs as they trot off, and puts his arm around me.

"You're good at creating family feuds." He says, and I know he's thinking of Pam and how she'd acted toward me at first.

Just then I hear a truck coming up my driveway, and turn to see Jason pulling in. "Speaking of family feuds…" I mutter to him. I can tell from the way he's driving that he's unhappy about something. When he gets out, and storms up to the porch, I don't miss the fact that he's in uniform.

"What the hell is going on Sook? I got a call at the station that you're keeping _lions_ on your property, what the fuck is that about?" As if on cue, Nick comes running out of the trees, and Jason's eyes go wide. "Holy shit!" He yells, and pulls his gun to aim it at Nick's head.

"Jason, stop!" I tell him, and run forward to push his hand down as Nick crouches and snarls menacingly. "It's okay, their just weres." Nathan appears from behind Jason's truck, and he stares between the two of them as he puts his firearm away.

"What the hell is going on?" He asks again and I grab his arm, trying to take him inside, but he drags behind me trying to keep his eyes on the lions as they watch us go. Eric opens the door for us, and I sit Jason down in the living room while I grab him a beer, and finally sit down across from him.

"Someone has been…messing with us. When we were flying back, the pilots tried to take us to the wrong place, and now Fangtasia has been burned to the ground. We're not sure who's doing it yet, but I want you to try to understand that Eric and I are in danger, and we need the lions to help protect us. But their actually Nick and Nathan." I hope that he takes it seriously, and pays attention, but I'm only disappointed by his response.

"That was Nick and Nathan?" He asks, and I roll my eyes. Of course that's the part he'd be most interested in.

Eric huffs an unnecessary breath, then stands up, and I can feel the slight anger and aggravation he feels toward Jason. "Did you not hear anything she just said but that? Someone is fucking with us, and maybe trying to kill or take your sister, and all you have to say is that you didn't think that Nick and Nathan were supes? Why the hell would I hire guards for her and not have them be powerful?"

I take Eric's hand, and pull him back down next to me. "Listen, Sook, if you're in danger then maybe…you two should come hide out at my house. No one really knows where it is, and I can protect you." Eric is about to respond harshly when I squeeze his hand, and start to speak.

"Jason, I really appreciate the offer, I do. But the only reason that no one knows where your house is, is because they get so drunk every time they go there that they forget. Besides, do you really want Eric to kill one of your drunk friends for hitting on me?" In his head he imagines that exact thing happening, and sees my point.

"Yea, I guess that wouldn't be too good. But what can I do to help?" He wants to try and keep me safer somehow, but is drawing a blank in his mind.

"Keep the local police off our backs as much as possible." Eric speaks up, and I nod to show I'm agreeing with him.

Jason stays a short while longer, promising to do what Eric asked, before finally leaving in his truck. He walks there slowly, but doesn't see the lions as he had hoped to.

I'm in the shower shortly after, while Eric makes some important calls and works on his laptop. He'd had internet installed several months prior, and liked to work from the house whenever he could, using the dining room table as a desk.

When I step out of the shower, I start to dry off, when he's suddenly there kissing down my neck. Lifting me up, he takes me down to his cubby, and we seal ourselves in.

The next morning, I wake up, and immediately know that something is wrong. Faint sounds can be heard from above, and when I drop my shields, I can tell that someone is there. A supe that I don't know is in my kitchen, and I reach further to find Nick and Nathan in the back yard. Nick is badly hurt, and Nathan is unconscious. I get dressed with spare clothes from under the bed, while I set up a plan. Rushing over to the wall, I push a small button hidden within one of the lights. I smile as I hear the solid metal wall closing over the entrance to the room, and give Eric a kiss before popping out to the back yard. I end up about twenty feet away from the brothers, just inside the tree line, and see that Nick is trying to waking up Nathan.

"Nick?" I say quietly, and he turns with a growl, until he sees who it is. Then he makes a strange sort of whining noise, and I get up close to them. I can see a long gash down his side, and blood is coming from one of his ears. It hurts me to see them in such distress, and I get on my knees to look at Nathan.

_The other supe hit him over the head. We don't know how, but he managed to sneak up on us. _I can feel my hands glowing with my anger, and Nick takes a step back. _What are you?_ He asks in his mind, and I decide that it's time to tell him.

"I'm part fae." He nods, understanding, and I look down at my hands. But I am shocked to see my light is now a deep pink color, and somehow I know what it will do. "Trust me." I say to Nick, and put my hands over Nathan's head.

The pink light flows into him, and I can feel the energy leaving me. When I feel that I should stop, I do so, and a second later Nathan opens his eyes. Nick steps forward, and looks at Nathan, who nods to him. They touch heads lightly, and purr for a moment, before I look more pointedly at Nick. "You're turn." I say, and the light washes over him.


	21. Chapter 21

Nathan watched as I healed Nick, and even though I felt tired for a moment afterward, I quickly recovered. We made our way up to the house quietly, and when I stepped onto my porch, I listened in to the mind of the intruder._ I'm glad she's not here, or I would have had to kill her, along with the vamp. Now where is he? _The man was upstairs, in the guest bedroom, and was about to try and find Eric. Making sure to be quiet, I opened the front door slowly. I pointed upward, and the lions nodded, understanding what I was telling them. Vicious growls rumbled from both of their chests as they suddenly raced past me and bounded up the stairs.

I followed in time to see them crash through the bedroom door, as the man had attempted to close it on them. Nathan jumped onto his chest, bringing him down to the floor, and Nick flanked him to help hold the man down. He put his hands on the sides of both the lion's faces, and suddenly a burning smell filled the room as the man somehow burned my friends with just a touch. Nathan leapt back with a pained roar, and bit into the man's leg mercilessly. Nick managed to get his mouth on the intruders arm, and suddenly it was gone. I looked away as Nathan shredded his leg, and an agonizing scream filled the air.

"Move!" I shout, and both lions jump away from him. Stepping further into the doorway, I lift my hands, and the man has just enough time to look me in the eye before I blast him. Despite being on the floor, he still flies through the air away from me, and collides with the opposing wall. He slumps to the floor, and the brothers watch him closely for a moment until we're sure he's unconscious. Leaving my lions to watch the attacker, I go downstairs and return with a bag full of strong rope.

Taking my time, I carefully restrain the man on a chair, and then turn my attention to the lions. Taking them downstairs into the kitchen, I make them wait while I get a first aid kit, and inspect their burns. "This will sting." I warn Nathan, before taking a wet rag and wiping down his cheek and the upper most part of his neck. He hisses loudly, but quickly goes quiet and endures the stinging. I apply a burn cream to it when it's cleaned, and repeat the process with Nick. His burns are worse, and I take longer to treat them, before letting them go back outside.

Going back upstairs, I wash away the blood that had been spilled, and put the man's mangled arm into a trash bag. His bleeding has stopped, but the wounds in his leg still ooze slightly, and I am about to walk out when he wakes up. "What the hell is going on?" He demands, and I just frown. Listening in to his thoughts, I quickly decipher that he is a witch, hired to kill Eric. But when he tries to think of who hired him, there is only a gap, and I know that he has been glamoured. Grabbing an old scarf from the closet, I quickly gag him, making it impossible for him to cast any spells. He struggles and tries to fight back, but I give him another zap, and afterwards he sits there dazed.

When I check a clock in the kitchen, I see that it's only a few hours until sunset, so I pop back down into the safe room and crawl back into bed to wait for Eric to wake up.

Just as the sun drops over the horizon, he opens his eyes, and frowns at me where I lay next to him. "Do I smell…cat blood?" He asks, confused.

"Lion." I correct him, "We had a break in. Someone hired a witch to come here and kill you. He managed to sneak up on Nick and Nathan outside and put them out of commission before they could kill him. After I hit the panic button, I popped outside and helped the brothers to get back on their feet and we surprised him upstairs. He's still there."

Eric's anger rolled over me in waves through the bond, and after opening the cubby entrance, we headed upstairs.

He inspected the ropes, and looked at me proudly after a moment, "Good job with these."

"Don't do that!" I stop him as he goes to undo the scarf gagging the witch. "He plans on casting a spell as soon as you take it off of him."

"Look at me." Eric demands the man to do it, and I know he's trying to use his glamour. But he manages to jump his eyes around the room and look anywhere he can other than at Eric. "I said look at me!" Eric roars, and the man's eyes only jump to him for a second, but that's all it takes. "Now, you are not going to cast any spells when I remove this." The man nods slightly, and the scarf is taken away. "Who sent you?"

"I don't know." His voice is flat and emotionless, despite the pain he has to be in from his arm and leg. Eric looks at me, and I nod to confirm what he is saying as true.

"What was the job exactly?" Eric asks, and the man hesitates, before telling us everything.

Two hours later the man is leaving with Pam, who will fabricate an accident to explain his injuries. We'd been interviewing him for an hour when the person who hired him called his cell phone. Eric had quickly pulled him under his glamour, and had made him lie. Now we sat in the upstairs room in the dark, and a small amount of Eric's blood was soaked into a towel on the floor. Hopefully the employer had believed the lie that Eric was fatally wounded, and I was knocked out.

Eric touched my arm suddenly, and nodded, telling me that someone was coming. I did my best then to cry convincingly, and I could hear my front door open a minute later. "Sookie! What's going on?" The voice that reaches my ears makes me freeze in anger. He is using just enough concern to sound genuine, but somewhere in his voice I can hear the hints of sarcasm and triumph. "Please come in." I whisper, keeping my voice void of emotion, and I hear him coming up the stairs.

The thought that he tried to have Eric killed fills me with rage, and my hands start to glow. When he steps into the doorway he sees us and his eyes widen, but he can't react before the light explodes through the air, and he is blasted into the opposite wall.

When I let my power fade, he just slumps there, unable to move for a moment. Eric takes him by the throat, and slams him into the wall. The plaster cracks around him, and I make a note to have Eric get it fixed. Perhaps I'll have the whole hallways redone to eliminate any memories of Bill that are still lingering with the décor in my memories. Pam would enjoy some redecorating.

I charge forward, and my hand glows dully, and I stare at him. "Why can't you accept this? We will never be together, and that's final." Pressing my hand to his face, I push with my power, and listen as he screams in agony. When I let go, there is a hand shaped burn on his check and part of his neck. Eric looks slightly scared for a moment, and I send him love. He returns the feeling with pride and admiration, and I continue to glare at Bill. His mouth opens, and I'm not surprised to see his fangs are out.

"Please." He says, surprising me, "If you'll just be mine, I will forgive everything. I won't even punish you for burning me." Eric growls loudly, and I glance at him.

"Bill, I will never be yours. I've said this already, and I'll keep saying it as long as it takes for you to understand. I'm sorry that you can't seem to understand this." I blast him in the chest, and he screams out. Somehow Eric suddenly has a wooden stake in his hands, and he gives it to me. My mind scatters as I look at the weapon, and the memories of all of Bill's wrong doings start to swirl around inside of me. The most recent ones are the strongest, and I feel my anger rising again.

My fingers curl around the base of the stake, and I raise it above my head. Bringing it down, I bury it in his chest, but not far enough to puncture his heart. His eyes are wild, and he stares down at the wood in amazement. He laughs, but it is not a normal laugh, more that of a madman who has just had the closest brush with death possible, and he stops dead silent when I raise my hand. He watches in terror as it slowly starts to glow, and I open my mouth to speak. "Goodbye Bill." The light that explodes from my hand is not white, but a dark purple color and it punches the stake the rest of the way into his chest. Tears pour down my face as the man I once loved freezes, and is suddenly liquefied into a puddle of gore on the floor. I step back, and Eric pulls me to him, holding me to his chest.

I cry, and I'm not even sure why I am doing so, but I cry anyway. Eric doesn't let me go, and picks me up to carry me to the bedroom. He changes me out of my bloody clothes, and into a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Then he changes his own clothes, and takes me down to the living room, setting me on the couch. "I have to call the authority, and report this. Everything will be okay." He kisses me on the forehead, and pulls out his cell phone.

After getting through to someone, he tells them what has happened, and they promise to have someone on the scene within the hour. We wait in silence, as Eric just holds me, until a large van pulls up and a group of vampires gets out. He lets them in the door, and I invite everyone inside.

Six vampires all in matching uniforms stand in my living room awkwardly, while Eric takes my hand and helps me to stand. He watches one in particular, and she does the same to him. She's shorter, with shoulder length dark hair, and reminds me of someone you would see in an old Victorian painting. Her eyes jump between me and him, and I wonder if she's someone from his past. "Nora." He says, and it's his only way of greeting her.

"Eric." She responds, and I just stare, dumbfounded in the silence that follows. After a minute, she starts to speak again, "What happened here?"

"Bill Compton tried to kill me, so that he could take my bonded wife for his own. He has pursued her ever since she left him, and has stalked her relentlessly. If you look into the records, you will see that I have filed numerous complaints over his behavior. Your own courts even told him to stay away from us, which he did not do. He hired an assassin to try and kill me, who failed, and we laid a trap for him. We led him to believe that I had been killed and that Sookie was here alone in the wake of my death. He came for her, and we trapped him and killed him." Nora lifted an eyebrow, and smiled slightly.

"You know what this means, don't you?" She asks, and Eric nods. "Alright, well I'll have the appropriate paperwork drawn up. Who exactly delivered the killing blow?" Her expectations were for Eric to claim the kill, but I beat him to the punch.

"I staked him. He tried to kill my husband, so I staked him." She looks at me with surprise, and I ignore the obvious disbelief. I can tell Eric is staring at the back of my head, but I ignore it.

Finally Nora nods, and looks back at the other vampires, giving them a silent order. They spread out through the house, inspecting everything. "We'll collect the necessary evidence to corroborate your story, and then we'll be on our way. Until then, just relax." I sit back down with Eric next to me, and Nora wonders off, only to return a couple of minutes later. "Tell me Eric, how did you meet this one?" Her tone is insulting, but I ignore her. I close my eyes, and lean into Eric's chest; his arms wrap around me and hold me to him securely.

"At the time, she was Compton's human, and I later learned from the Queen that she had sent Bill to procure the human so that she could add her to her court. I intervened, and found that I was very fond of her. After she learned of Compton's treachery, she left him, and found her way to me." His brief description makes me realize how much is left out, and how much has happened to me since I'd met Bill. I feel a small wave of remorse, but as soon as I remind myself of why he had to die, the regret fades away.

"How is it, that she is the one who killed Compton?" Nora is fishing for information, and I remember Eric once telling me that powerful members of the vampire world might become interested in me.

"I held him down, and she staked him. He has caused her more grievances than anyone else in her life, and I felt she had the right to seek her revenge." Our bond tells me that he's not lying, and I realize that it's true. No one I'd ever met had caused me so much endless pain as Bill Compton had, and his death closed a horrible chapter of my life for good.

Nora is quiet for a moment, before speaking again with a sinful tone of voice, "Would you like to meet up later?" Something in me snaps in that moment and I open my eyes. Before I know what I'm doing, I lift my hands, and blast Nora across the room.

She stays on the ground, shocked into silence, and I glare down at her. "Eric is mine, and no one will take him from me."

Taking Eric's hand, I focus on the secret apartment beneath the old Fangtasia, and with a pop we are there. I sway as I realize just how tired I am, and he picks me up, carrying me to bed.

When I fall asleep, it's in his arms, in the blissful silence of the dark.

I wake up just after dawn, and see a text message on Eric's phone from Nora. Hitting the button, I am stunned by the words on the screen.

_The paperwork is complete, and just needs signed. Congratulations, King Northman._

**END**

_-  
_**I'm sorry that it has taken so long to get an update on here. But I had to have emergency gallbladder removal surgery, and since then I haven't felt up to doing very much. Also I am working on a new story that will be posted soon, and it's hopefully going to be another long one. This coming week I am going to go on a vacation to a place with no wi-fi(yikes!) but as soon as I'm back I'll be posting again. Thanks for reading, and you'll see new things from me soon!**


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